By FRANCIS NGIGE and MOSES NJAGIH

When Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta embarked on a campaign trail in central Kenya, he had one message to the electorate: A vote for TNA was a vote for him.

Just to make sure that his point was home, Uhuru made three visits to Kangema constituency and also campaigned vigorously for TNA candidates in civic seats in Mutira and Ikinu Wards in Kirinyaga and Kiambu.

With numerous parties competing against each other in the populous region, Uhuru saw the by-election as a way of introducing TNA as the party of choice in the area.

Apart from facing competition from other national leaders, Uhuru faces the dilemma of trying to handle the influence of Narc-Kenya leader Martha Karua and Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth.

Monday’s win for TNA candidate Tirus Ngahu who garnered 13,752 votes against United Democratic Forum (UDF) Simon Mwangi’s 2,981 was a boost to Uhuru’s party.

The outcome of the election may be viewed as spite on former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga and to a larger extent Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Njenga’s Mkenya Solidarity Movement candidate John Gathogo faired dismally, managing 400 only votes despite Raila gracing his campaigns.

Njenga’s influence among the rural unemployed youth was expected to play a role but this did not materialise.

UDF popularity

However, a reason for Uhuru to worry is the rising popularity of his colleague Musalia Mudavadi’s UDF, which came second in the by-election.

In Kirinyaga, Mwangi Kiunjuri’s Grand National Union nearly clinched the Mutira Civic ward despite Uhuru campaigning for the aspiring councillor Ezekiel Githinji of TNA.

Some voters opposed to the presence of Finance Minister Njeru Githae in the campaigns had allegedly threatened to “teach” TNA a lesson and it took the intervention of former Foreign Secretary Joseph Ndathi for the party to bag the seat.

Githinji polled 2,393 narrowly defeating GNU’s David Kinyua by a mere 15 votes.

Moses ole Sakuda’s emphatic win in the Kajiado North by-election was largely expected given his impressive performance in the last General Election where he lost to his predecessor George Saitoti in controversial circumstances.

Though the TNA candidate was perceived as a front-runner given his 2007 performance, it was expected that he would face stiff competition in the by-election where many factors were in play.

But Sakuda’s win with 26,387 votes, translating to over 56 per cent of votes cast against his closest opponent Peter ole Mositet’s (ODM) 13,996 was convincing enough to prove the electorate’s sound democratic voice. 

By-elections campaigns had been hyped by presidential aspirants, who had especially identified Kajiado North as the arena to test their candidature in the General Election.

Uhuru and Raila had especially capitalised on the constituency as the indicator for their poll plans, pitching tent in the constituency where they drummed up support for their candidates. 

Mositet had taken an early lead against Sakuda, who lurked in his shadows. With votes from 19 stations tallied, Mositet was leading with 2,831 against Sakuda’s 2,599, creating a tense atmosphere among the observers from the two camps who were following the results from the Oloolaiser High School.

But results from the next 20 stations secured Sakuda’s victory.

The fact that Sakuda, with the support of the multi-ethnic groups, won convincingly is an indicator that the margin of win could have been bigger given that these areas also recorded low voter turn out.

“This was an emphatic victory and a show of the strength of our party but we could have even won it with a bigger margin had the turn out been better,” said Joseph Maathai, who was the TNA coordinator in the by-elections.

Some voters were keen to vote in Sakuda as a consolation for the loss he suffered in the last election, where his supporters claimed he was rigged out by Saitoti.

“We believe Sakuda had won even in the last election and we want to correct that mistake,” said Ms Christine Nasieku, a voter at Kimuka Primary School.