Matuga race down to an ODM-PNU contest

By Patrick Beja

The July 12 Matuga by-election battle, which is only six days away, has boiled down to an ODM-PNU contest despite two other candidates being in the race.

If crowds and show of political supremacy translates into votes, then ODM and PNU seem to be in for a ‘do or die’ battle as their candidates lock horns for the third time.

Hassan Mohamed Mwanyoha of ODM and Chirau Ali Mwakwere of PNU who have been doing campaigns and lengthy court battles since their first encounter in the 2002 General Election have intensified their campaigns.

Others fighting for the seat are Kassim Sawa Tandaza of the United Democratic Movement (UDM) who came third in the 2007 poll and Isaac Masila Mutula of Labour Party of Kenya (LPK), who also participated in the last General Election.

The hottest battle appears to be for the swing votes in Kubo-Shimba Hills region dominated by Kamba and Duruma communities as Mr Tandaza, Mr Mwanyoha and Mr Mwakwere, who belong to the Digo community in Matuga Division, scramble for a share of the votes. Mr Mutula, a Kamba from the Shimba Hills area, is also dipping his fingers in the traditional swing votes bowl.

Rotting oranges

So far, ODM has listed Water minister Charity Ngilu and former Kibwezi MP Kalembe Ndile as campaigners for the Kamba-dominated Shimba Hills while Mwakwere is expected to bring in Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka this week to assist in getting the crucial votes.

For ODM, Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi has been in the constituency since Sunday, rallying support for Mwanyoha.

All Mwakwere’s three rivals have so far decried the large population of squatters particularly in the lower part of the constituency who they say require urgent formal re-settlement.

The squatters are spread out in Kombani/Waa, Ng’ombeni, Tiwi, Mbuguni and several parts of Kubo Division in the upper side of the constituency.

Bad roads, tonnes of rotting oranges, lack of water and employment and frequent straying herds of elephants from the Shimba Hills Game reserve into farms form the bulk of the campaign issues. Others question how the Constituency Development Fund had been used in the area.

Tandaza and Mutula have centred their campaigns on lack of processing factories for oranges, cashew nuts and coconuts as well as the poor roads and low standards of education.

"I know issues affecting Matuga and I don’t have to seek for politicians from outside to help me campaign," says Tandaza.

Mwanyoha claims the land problem has been so severe and squatters have frequently fought at Ng’ombeni settlement, adding that two thirds of the population in Waa location are squatters.

But Mwakwere maintains he has used the ministerial flag to tackle problems affecting Matuga, particularly land.

The former minister says he used his position to push for settlement of squatters at Sabwaral and Gidomali farms in Waa location and Mbuguni, adding that title deeds are in the pipeline.

The intensified campaigns for the by-election have also drowned referendum campaigns in the area. As claims of voters being enticed with up to Sh1,000 each, packets of maize flour and lessos continue, some candidates have also resorted to either impromptu harambees for schools and other organised groups or simply dropping in cash for ‘assistance’ as some of the goodies.

After losing the South Mugirango parliamentary seat last month, ODM appears not to be taking chances in Matuga. A huge team of MPs have pitched tent there to tackle PNU’s Mwakwere, who has nicknamed himself Dzipapa (big shark).

But Mwakwere is spending many hours pleading with voters to return him to Parliament "to complete my development projects and retain the ministerial flag in Matuga".

He boasts of being the first of six MPs since Independence to fly the coveted flag and pleads with voters not to waste the opportunity to be represented in the Cabinet.

Outside troops

Mwakwere has been campaigning largely without the backing of politicians from outside. Until last weekend, Mwakwere had not received any troops from outside save for PNU national chairman George Saitoti and national treasurer Mohamed Mahmoud, who addressed a single rally at Kombani last Thursday.

Sources indicated infighting within the Coast Parliamentary Group, a scramble for Mwakwere’s flag and the referendum campaigns could explain the lack of interest by the local PNU legislators.

Coast MPs allied to PNU are Special Programmes minister Naomi Shaban (Taveta), Gonzi Rai (Kinango), Fahim Twaha (Lamu West), Abu Chiaba (Lamu East), Shakilla Abdalla (Nominated) and Kazungu Kambi (Kaloleni).

Coast ODM MPs led by party national vice-chairman Ramadhan Kajembe, party national organising secretary Hassan Joho and Coast Parliamentary Group chairman Benedict Gunda have camped in Matuga for more than ten days to tackle a seemingly stubborn Mwakwere.

To counter Prof Saitoti, the Coast ODM team was joined in the campaigns by Mr Mudavadi, Secretary-General Anyang’ Nyong’o and Lands minister James Orengo on Sunday and yesterday.

The hottest issue in the Matuga campaigns has been whether Mwakwere should be returned to Parliament to keep the flag for Matuga people or not.

ODM and PNU are debating the flag puzzle with voters as it appears to be the latter’s main bait and which has already overshadowed the real issues in Matuga.

Kicked off debate

It was Saitoti who kicked off the debate last week when he said President Kibaki had assured PNU that Mwakwere’s ministerial position has been reserved.

"You will see him flying his ministerial flag in less than one week (of his re-election). Don’t disappoint and embarrass PNU and President Kibaki," Saitoti had told voters at Kombani grounds.

But last Sunday, Mudavadi led the ODM troops to the same grounds and vigorously countered Saitoti before taking the flag debate to other parts of the constituency.

Mudavadi told voters to elect an MP and not a Cabinet minister, saying the era of MPs serving as ministers would come to an end with the enactment of a new constitution.

"Do not let ODM and the Prime Minister down. Vote for an MP and not the flag because voters never vote for a minister," Mudavadi told the crowd gathered at the grounds.