Barely two months after the hotly contested general elections between Azimio One Kenya Coalition Party and Kenya Kwanza fresh details have since emerged about how senior politicians allied to Raila Odinga’s Azimio are regretting having joined the coalition despite warnings from their inner circles.
Investigations by The Weekly Vision reveal how most of the senior politicians in Azimio who are now languishing in political oblivion may have comfortably won their respective seats had they contested on the Kenya Kwanza ticket.
Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka who was Raila Odinga’s PM designate has been once again thrown into the political cold for another five years. Kalonzo had deputized Raila in two successive elections but they lost. Analysts say had Kalonzo agreed to President William Ruto’s invite to join Kenya Kwanza with his Ukambani vote block, he could have landed the lucrative position of Chief Minister currently held by Musalia Mudavadi.
Still, in the Eastern region, immediate former Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu was convinced by Raila Odinga not to defend her gubernatorial seat with promises of being appointed to the position of cabinet secretary and specifically, she had been designated as Health CS, a position she held during the Mwai Kibaki presidency. It is now claimed that had Ngilu defended her seat, she could be doing her second and final term as Kitui Governor.
In the coast region, former Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho who had initially indicated that he would go for the presidency was sweet-talked by Raila Odinga with a promise that he could be a possible running mate. However, the promise never materialized, he was later to be promised the position of Cabinet Secretary in charge of Lands. Joho is now in the political cold.
Four-time MP Naomi Shaban conceded her Taita Taveta constituency race, for the first time in 20 years to a political greenhorn, Bwire Okano.
In the Mount Kenya region, former Laikipia Governor Nderitu Mureithi is also in the political cold. Sources say had Nderitu joined Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza, he could have overwhelmingly won the seat to finish his second term. In the neighbouring Nakuru county, former governor Lee Kinyanjui lost to UDA’s Susan Kihika not because Kihika was popular but because Kinyanjui was not in a politically correct party.
Raila’s running mate Martha Karua is yet another senior politician who is now in the political cold because of Azimio. Karua was once a member of One Kenya Coalition where the majority decamped to Kenya Kwanza but chose to remain with Raila. She will have to remain in the political wilderness for the next five years. Former Meru governor Kiraitu Murungi’s political career came to an abrupt end simply because his party was in the Azimio Coalition. Had Kiraitu joined Kenya Kwanza, he could have defeated the current embattled governor Mwangaza Kawira.
Former Agriculture CS Peter Munya is yet another politician whose career has been cut short. Initially, he had wished to vie against Kiraitu but was given an assurance of being retained in the Agriculture docket under Raila’s presidency. Former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth is also in the political cold after he was requested not to run for any seat but would be considered for a lucrative government job.
Other notable politicians from the mount Kenya region who lost because of Azimio include former majority leader Amos Kimunya, Kabando wa Kabando, Ruth Mwaniki, Kanini Kega, Jeremiah Kioni, Priscilla Nyokabi, Ngunjiri Wambugu and Jude Njomo among others.
In Nyanza, several politicians lost elections either because they were forced by Azimio not to run or they lost because they were in Azimio. ODM national treasurer Timothy Bosire lost the Kitutu Chache seat, the same as Richard Tongi who lost the Nyaribari Chache seat. Others who are in the political cold because they refused to withdraw in support of Raila’s perceived popular candidates are Olago Aluoch, Shakeel Shabir, Dalmas Otieno, John Pesa and Nichola Gumbo among many others.
In the western region, the majority of Azimio candidates emerged victorious against Kenya Kwanza. A notable politician who was trounced because of his association with Azimio is former Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati who was ousted by former Senate Speaker Keneth Lusaka.
