Mathare, Kenya: Confusion still reigns in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s TNA over how the party’s flag bearer for the Mathare by-elections will be picked.

The Supreme Court upheld the High Court’s ruling that nullified the election of former MP George Wanjohi and ordered the Independent Boundaries and Electoral Commission (IEBC) to conduct a by-election within 90 days.

But the IEBC is yet to set a new date for the mini-poll that will once again pit the Jubilee alliance against the opposition Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) as they seek to consolidate their strength in the capital.

TNA appears to be divided over how to pick its flag bearer, a tiff that has led to divisions within the party after some legislators vowed to push for Wanjohi’s direct nomination.

The group, largely made of  TNA MPs from Nairobi, claims  it has the backing of senior party members  and President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The MPs argue that it would be unfair to subject an ousted MP to a nomination process.

Direct nomination

Starehe MP Maina Kamanda told The Standard on Sunday that there is a  common understanding among city leaders that Wanjohi be given a direct ticket to defend the seat. Mathare was hived off Starehe Constituency during the boundaries review.

“Subjecting honourable Wanjohi to nominations would be unfair to him given that he has been hounded in court for the last one year. We will stick with our tradition of giving direct tickets to MPs whenever they lose their seats through court petitions. We will support his bid to recapture his seat on a TNA ticket,” Kamanda said.

Embakasi North MP James Gakuya said all TNA MPs from Nairobi would rally behind Wanjohi to ensure he recaptures his seat.

Mr Gakuya said it was the general feeling of the people of Mathare that the former MP be given a direct nomination so he could complete development projects he had embarked before he lost his seat.

“We have made arrangements on how to hit the road across the constituency to drum up support for Wanjohi,” Gakuya said.

But matters were complicated last week when three other aspirants paid the Sh200,000 nomination fee to TNA.

Jackson Mwangi, Gabriel Muthuma, former Huruma Councillor Ndung’u wa Grace and TNA activist Samson Ojiayo claim they have been cleared by the party to contest in the primaries and are opposed to attempts to give Wanjohi a direct nomination.

Front runners

Mr Mwangi lost to Kamanda in last year’s polls.

“We want the party to give us a fair chance. We want to go through the  nominations so that we do not lose the seat to ODM. It is clear to all of us that the people do not want Wanjohi. That’s why so many of them voted for his opponent Stephen Kariuki of ODM. Giving him a direct nomination is handing ODM victory,” said Muthuma.

Mwangi and Muthuma are considered front runners for the TNA ticket, given the kind of mobilisation they have been engaged in since the High Court nullified Wanjohi’s election.

Mwangi said he was confident of victory.  “I am in the race. My formidable campaign machinery is roaring. The whistle has been blown. I am best placed to fly the TNA flag due to my experience in local politics.”

Muthuma told The Standard on Sunday he is prepared to hit the campaign trail.

“I know the issues that need fixing to better the lives of the people of Mathare. The constituents will be in good hands if they elect me because I grew up here,” he said.

TNA chairman Johnson Sakaja appeared to close the door on whether or not there would be primaries and said  there was room for the four aspirants to battle it out for the party ticket as each had paid the required fee.

“Three other aspirants have made payments. Consultations are going on at various stages regarding the way we shall approach the by- election as a party, details of which will be announced next week,” Mr Sakaja said.

But as the Jubilee alliance grapples with this dilemma, CORD appears to have settled on its candidate.

While addressing his supporters at Uhuru Park upon his return from the US last Saturday, CORD leader Raila Odinga unveiled Stephen Kariuki as the ODM candidate in the Mathare by-election.

Mr Kariuki, the son of former Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru, successfully petitioned the election of Wanjohi.

Kariuki, 34, had been declared winner at the tallying centre with more than 34,000 votes, only for his certificate to be withdrawn by the returning officer in favour of  Wanjohi. Two days later, the IEBC said it had detected an anomaly and declared Wanjohi the winner.

Volatile constituency

During the Supreme Court hearing, judges Philip Tunoi and Smokin Wanjala directed IEBC to hold the by-election within 90 days.

IEBC had earlier set the mini polls for June 3, but the bench directed the electoral body to change the date.

The by-election reopens a battleground in the largely volatile constituency.  Mathare has six wards, four of which are represented by ODM at the County Assembly. They are Huruma, Ngei, Hospital and Mabatini. TNA holds Mlango Kubwa and Kiamaiko. 

However, some ODM-held wards have fewer voters than those held by TNA. For instance, Hospital Ward has 7,498 registered voters while Mlango Kubwa, a TNA zone, has 18,676.  

Still, there is something else for TNA to grapple with. In the last elections, Mr Odinga bagged more votes compared to President Kenyatta in the scramble for Mathare’s 90,363 registered voters. Mr Kenyatta garnered 30,013 votes against Mr Odinga’s 37,688.

Fortunes and perceptions of both coalitions may have changed since then, but the strength of the individual candidates may be crucial in determining the swing vote. 

Wanjohi, a two-time former councillor for Kiamaiko Ward, considers Kiamaiko, Mlango Kubwa and Huruma wards as his strongholds.

“Ethnic divisions are commonplace here but the by-election will determine who the real winner is. We won fair and square, and still believe  we will prevail. We are not concerned with what our opponents say because we have put in place our campaign structures and will go full-throttle to win the seat,” said Wanjohi.

The former MP said there had been attempts by people he did not name to impose external candidates.

Outright victory

“I want the people of Mathare to give me the opportunity to continue with my development record. For the first time, Mathare had a true son of their own representing them. Outsiders are trying to reverse this. They can never really understand our problems,” Mr Wanjohi said. 

The former MP said that  during his short stint in office, the tarmacking of Bondeni, Biashara and Oi Libya roads were initiated. These roads will provide commuters from Mathare with easy access to Juja Road. Mr Wanjohi also said  he had spearheaded the construction of a dining hall at Ndururuno Secondary School and had put up two classrooms at St Teresa Girls.

But Kariuki, who believes his victory was stolen, says the electorate would make the same choice they made on  March 4, 2013 and reaffirm their decision by re-electing him.

“The people of Mathare made their choice loud and clear but their will was overturned,” he said.

Kariuki hit out at Wanjohi, accusing him of doing very little during the one year he has been in office.

“We have only been treated with empty rhetoric, with nothing tangible to show for the last one year. We want the people of Mathare to access services like other Kenyans do,” Kariuki  added.