Thursday, June 7, 2007

Kibaki’s elections machine shapes up


_________

The face of President Kibaki’s re-election team has taken shape after his key political allies romped home with resounding victories in Narc-Kenya grassroots and branch elections.


"The President has already said he is not in Democratic Party nor National Rainbow Alliance. Why should you force him? It is no secret that Kibaki is with us," said Sports minister Mr Maina Kamanda, as reports trickled in that Cabinet ministers allied to Kibaki had triumphed.
Mr Kiraitu Murungi, Mr Raphael Tuju, Prof George Saitoti, Dr Chris Murungaru, Dr Mukhisa Kituyi, Prof Kivutha Kibwana, Ms Martha Karua, Mr Kipruto Kirwa and Mr Mutua Katuku started emerging as the possible pillars around which Kibaki’s re-election outfit would revolve.
Tuju (Foreign Affairs), Kituyi (Trade and Industry), Kiraitu (Energy), Katuku (Water), Kibwana (Environment) and Kamanda were elected branch chairmen in their respective constituencies.
Narc-K in crisis at the Coast
But Narc-Kenya appeared to be in trouble after a boycott of the recent polls by a rival group headed by three Cabinet ministers and assistant ministers.
Transport minister Mr Chirau Ali Mwakwere, Tourism minister Mr Morris Dzoro, Heritage minister Mr Suleiman Rashid Shakombo are expected to attend a Coast leaders forum to decide their fate in Narc-Kenya.

Others expected at the meeting are assistant ministers Mr Ananiah Mwaboza, Mr Boniface Mghanga, Mr Joseph Kingi and Mr Abu Chiaba and MPs Mr Gonzi Rai, Mr Harrison Kombe and Mr Abdalla Ngozi.
Mwaboza, the Kisauni MP, said he did not recognise the elections backed by Assistant minister Mr Danson Mungatana, saying Coast leaders must reach a consensus on the polls.
Ironically, Mungatana is the man who campaigned for Mwaboza in the 2004 by-election occasioned by the death of then Tourism minister Karisa Maitha, which he won.
The differences between Mwakwere and Mungatana can be traced to the Magarini by-election, when the two sharply differed over the nomination of a candidate.
"We have the numbers and we will ensure Mungatana is out of Narc-Kenya," Mwakwere vowed, asserting that he spoke for all Coast communities.
Mungatana has since been elected unopposed as the Garsen branch chairman.
Election machine ready
Other Assistant ministers who romped home in elections held at the weekend are Mr Kalembe Ndile, Mr Stephen Tarus and Mr Mwangi Kiunjuri.
Katuku, who was elected Mwala branch chairman, said the grassroots elections would create a powerful election machine for President Kibaki’s re-election.
Said he: "We now have people campaigning for President Kibaki at the polling station level. We are setting up a powerful election machine that will deliver a landslide win."
Katuku is one of the eight Narc-Kenya vice-chairmen picked by Vice-President Moody Awori in an expanded National Executive Committee list last month.
_______

No comments: