By Gakuu Mathenge

The battle for political supremacy in Maasailand moved a notch higher with a meeting of youthful professionals and leaders from the community.

According to some of those who attended the meeting, its main agenda was how to position the community strategically in the race to succeed President Kibaki in 2012.

The meeting of the professionals is the second notable event in Maasailand in the past year following a symbolic ceremony to hand over leadership at Loita plains on December 1, last year.

During the ceremony, ‘reigning’ Irnyangusi and Iseuri age groups handed over leadership to their younger successors, the Irkishili and Irkipali age sets, now in their 40s and 50s. Minister for National Heritage William Ntimama and veteran politician John Keen belong to the former age sets.

The meeting at the secluded Olooltepes campsite in Kiserian brought together Health PS James ole Kiyiapi, East African Portland Cement chairman Mark ole Karbolo, United Democratic Movement party secretary-general Martin ole Kamwaro, NGO Council chief executive Ledana ole Kina, Kenya Wine Agencies chairman Moitalel ole Kenta, the ambassador to China Julius ole Sunkuli, Kenya Urban Roads Authority executive director Joseph Nkadayo and Geothermal Development Corporation Deputy Director Moses ole Sakuda.

The professionals are among a crop of ambitious leaders looking beyond the community’s support for national posts in the race to succeed Kibaki. Pointedly, among the guests at the ceremony was President Kibaki’s son, Jimmy.

Educated leadership

"We are mobilising our youth with the message that Maasai can produce young and educated leadership locally, but also have one of their own contest for the national leadership.

The next election will be a generational battle, and many communities have youthful political leaders. The Maasai should put forward young and educated leaders who can compete with their peers," Kamwaro said.

Kamwaro and Kenta took on elderly Ntimama in 2007, but lost with 14,000 and 21,000 votes against the battle hardened Ntimama’s 25,000 votes.

The Maasai community has in the past supported political parties associated with their prominent personalities, notably Ntimama and Internal Security minister George Saitoti. The pair rose to prominence under Kanu, but defected in the run-up to the 2002 General Election where they rooted for President Kibaki’s Narc against Kanu’s Uhuru Kenyatta.

However, they parted towards the 2007 elections, with Saitoti sticking with Kibaki’s PNU, where he was elected chairman last year, and Ntimama throwing his lot with ODM, to which he owes his Cabinet appointment.

Supremacy battles

The two have perennially fought for supremacy in Maasai politics, but it is Ntimama who is perceived as the Maasai leader, and to whom credit went for the overwhelming support the community gave ODM in 2007.

Signs of political succession spasms and supremacy battles in Maasailand have been simmering, but remain low-key.

The latest proxy political duels between PNU and ODM have been over the chairmanship of the Olkejuado County Council, where ODM candidate and chairman of the Association of Local Government Authorities, Tarayia ole Kores, beat the PNU candidate.

Tarayia’s victory was viewed as a warning salvo to Prof Saitoti to watch his back.

Kamwaro says Tarayia’s victory was a warning that a wind of change was blowing through Maasailand and the youth were capable of putting their own in leadership.

Sakuda gave Saitoti a run for his money in the last elections, and went to court when the minister was declared Kajiado North MP. Sources privy to ongoings say Saitoti was taken aback when Sakuda withdrew his petition after the Chief Justice took more than nine months to appoint a judge to hear the suit amid allegations the courts were being manipulated by PNU.

Sakuda shot to limelight when he hosted American televangelist, TD Jakes in 2005. The evangelist helped fundraise for boreholes across Maasailand among other charitable projects. When the Head of Public Service, Ambassador Francis Muthaura, came from treatment in South Africa Sakuda led a delegation of elders from all 12 Maasai clans to his Rongai home for traditional prayers.

In 2007, Keen prevailed upon son, Edward, to step down in favour of Sakuda to challenge Saitoti for Kajiado North.