Mudavadi fights to reclaim lost ground in Sabatia
By Benson Amadala, Nairobi, 14 May 2007
The race for the Sabatia parliamentary seat is likely to reverberate across the larger political landscape in Western Province as former Vice-President Musalia Mudavadi fights for a comeback after his humiliating defeat in 2002.
Mr Mudavadi seems to have regained some of his political standing, boosted by his campaign for the ODM Kenya presidential nomination. With the Opposition umbrella grouping also seeming to have an edge over the other parties in most of Western Province, Mr Mudavadi might be well placed to earn revenge over the newcomer who sent him packing at the last elections, Moses Akaranga, the minister of State for Public Service.
While the incumbent MP has been busy on his ministerial duties in Nairobi, Mr Mudavadi has been busy campaigning in the constituency and the rest of Western Province where he is trying to project himself as the community’s torchbearer in the presidential race.
Although he hardly registers a blip on national opinion polls for presidential candidates, the turnouts at his rallies suggest that at least, he has been forgiven for the perceived blunders towards the last elections.
Mr Mudavadi’s political career seemed over when he scored the dubious distinction of being the Vice-President who served for the shortest time, and the only sitting Vice-President to lose his parliamentary seat in Kenya.
Mr Mudavadi’s dithering was demonstrated in the run-up to the 2002 elections when then President Moi was hit with a massive rebellion in Kanu after settling on a relative newcomer, Mr Uhuru Kenyatta, as his preferred successor. Mr Mudavadi was amongst key party figures who vowed to fight the move alongside the then Vice-President George Saitoti, and fellow Cabinet ministers Kalonzo Musyoka and Raila Odinga.
While the others stuck to their guns, Mr Mudavadi developed cold feet and was enticed back by being appointed Vice-President.
The rest of the Kanu rebels took over the Liberal Democratic Party, which went on to join up with others in the National Rainbow Coalition.
Narc delivered Kanu a crushing blow at the elections, and among the big losers was Mr Mudavadi, whose long term as Sabatia MP was brought to a sudden halt by Mr Akaranga.
After the elections Mr Mudavadi went on an extended sulk, turning down an offer of Nominated MP, and even quitting Kanu.
He bounced back with the referendum campaign of 2005, taking credit for steering a “No” vote in western Kenya.
In the meantime, Narc disintegrated and the LDP wing led by Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka had left the Kibaki Cabinet to link up again with Mr Kenyatta’s Kanu in a new Opposition front, ODM.
And as the ODM pointman in Western Province, Mr Mudavadi’s stock has risen sharply, at the expense of Vice-President Moody Awori who is loyal to President Kibaki’s new vehicle, Narc Kenya, and Local Government minister Musikari Kombo, who continues to send mixed signals as chairman of Ford Kenya.
Mr Mudavadi, therefore, is not just fighting for the Sabatia seat, but he is also ranged against Mr Awori and Mr Kombo in a duel for political supremacy in Western Province. Also in the mix is Mr Mudavadi’s constant rival, former Youth for Kanu ‘92 chairman Cyrus Jirongo who caused waves last year by fronting a noisy Luhya unity campaign, which seems to have lost steam, though. Mr Jirongo has his own party, Kenya African Development Democratic Union (Kaddu).
Mr Mudavadi would seem like a long shot for the ODM presidential nomination, and his supporters seem to be living in the hope that he can emerge as a compromise candidate.
He also has to change the perception that he is not a serious candidate — but one propped up by Mr Odinga to deliver him the Western vote.
Whatever the outcome of the ODM race, however, Mr Mudavadi has regained a lot of lost ground in Sabatia and western Kenya in general, and that can only be bad news for Mr Akaranga who might end up a one-term MP.
Mr Akaranga is one of President Kibaki’s main backers in the province. At one point he seemed to have fallen out with Mr Kombo after a row over the Ford Kenya leadership, and seemed to be warming up to Narc Kenya.
He has since clarified that he is still loyal to the party, but still faces the dilemma of which ticket to stand on depending on whether Ford Kenya fields candidates directly, join up with Narc Kenya or goes under the umbrella of the original Narc.
Other than Mr Mudavadi who might be causing him sleepless nights, there are a number of other candidates gunning for Mr Akaranga’s seat.
They might include a former Mudavadi ally, Mr Francis Chahonyo. The former Kenya Sugar Board chief executive has eyed the seat for many years, but is yet to take the plunge. He is keeping voters guessing this time again, and might to be weighing his options, which seem to include the ticket of Mr Jirongo’s Kaddu.
One challenger on the campaign trail is Mrs Alice Kirambi, the national secretary of Maendeleo ya Wanawake Organisation. She has been involved in community work through an NGO, and has shown interest in the ODM-K ticket, which would pit her against Mr Mudavadi at the primaries. “The people of Sabatia have for a long time been led into believing men can offer better leadership but I believe if a woman is given a chance to serve as MP things would be different,” says Mrs Kirambi.
Another candidate is Dr Musalia Edebe, a lecturer at Moi University, Eldoret. He is yet to feature strongly in the campaign, but is also being touted for the ODM-K ticket.
Indications on the ground are that whoever bags the ODM-K ticket will be well-placed to remove Mr Akaranga.
The minister’s prospects could largely depend on whether the unfolding political trends within and outside the constituency have an impact on which way voters in Sabatia decide to cast their ballot.
Source: http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp