Day of drama as Kethi Kilonzo barred, Mutula Kilonzo Jr picked

By VITALIS KIMUTAI and PAMELA CHEPKEMEI

KENYA: It was goodbye Kethi Kilonzo and hello Mutula Kilonzo Jr as the CORD coalition grabbed a last-minute lifeline from the courts in its battle for the Makueni County Senate seat.

ODM leader Raila Odinga and Wiper party head Kalonzo Musyoka yesterday unveiled Mutula Jr as the coalition’s flag bearer for the Makueni County senatorial by election slated for next Friday.

The lawyer, an older brother to their first choice Kethi and son to Mutula Kilonzo Sr, runs on a Wiper ticket. The move came hours after a three-judge Bench of the High Court barred Kethi Kilonzo, 36, from vying for the seat on grounds that she was not a registered voter and, therefore, ineligible to contest (see separate story).

Raila and Kalonzo will today present MK Junior, as he is popularly known, before the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Returning Officer at Wote town in Makueni. CORD was directed by the court to have their replacement nominee ready for certification by 8am.

Mutula Jr, 38, will face off with Jubilee’s Prof Philip Kaloki, PICK’s John Harun Mwau, LPK’s Jane Kitundu and Albanus Muthoka, an independent.

There was drama prior to the unveiling of the new candidate as nominated senator Janet Ong’era led a group of CORD members to the IEBC offices at Anniversary Towers, where they met Chairman Isaack Hassan, to ascertain whether or not his name was in the voter’s register.

The Makueni Senator’s post fell vacant after the mysterious death of Mutula Kilonzo Sr, whose body was found at his Kwa Kyelu Ranch in Maanzoni two months ago. No official report on his death has been released to the public.

Appeal ruling

Even as the candidate was unveiled, the WDM leadership indicated that they will appeal the High Court ruling barring his sister Kethi from contesting in a bid to clear her name from claims she engaged in a criminal activity.

“Without fear of contradiction, I want to make it clear that I am ready for this (contest),” Mutula Jr said after receiving certificate from WDM’s national chairman Mr David Musila at Serena hotel.

“Wipers’ NEC has unanimously approved Kilonzo Junior’s candidature and we have taken all precautions necessary including visiting the IEBC to ascertain that he is a registered voter,” Musila said.

Musila displayed a letter from IEBC Chairman Isaack Hassan indicating that the candidate is indeed a registered voter.

The Nairobi based lawyer said that he would not be exactly fitting into his late father’s shoes but had made a replica of the shoes that fitted him well.

“I want to make it absolutely clear that I am not joining politics but leadership. When you find me somewhere in the streets please understand where I am coming from,” he said.

Namesake

In reference to the late Mutula who was a Senior Counsel and former Cabinet minister, Kilonzo junior said, “I am standing here in place of my namesake who left us without notice.”

While pointing at CORD leaders, Kilonzo said: “These guys looked for me in several places. It was not easy, but they found me eventually.”

He appealed to voters in Makueni to refrain from engaging in any form of violence during the campaigns and the election.

“I am appealing to IEBC to ensure there is a free, fair and transparent election in compliance with the constitution,” Kilonzo stated.

Raila and Kalonzo paid tribute to Kethi for standing with CORD and seeking for justice when she was denied the chance to contest the seat left vacant by the death of her father.

“I was disappointed over the ruling on the Kethi case. But then I told myself that we have been through this before and we are back at it. We will never stop removing obstacles placed in our way by our competitors,” Raila said.

Raila caused laughter when he said, “The King is dead. Long live the King, because we have a new King (Kilonzo junior),” Raila said. Kethi had promised the team that she would be with them throughout the campaign trail.

“Our adversaries will never want to escort us to the altar but they instead want to bury us six feet under,” Raila stated.

He added: “Kethi stood with CORD defending our rights with courage, fortitude and resilience that is very rare. She has shown readiness to pay the utmost price in defence of justice and democracy.”

Musyoka said democracy had been on trial in the country and Kenyans would not agree to go back to the 1970s where telephones were tapped and people had to watch their backs.

“We are going for a clean win and we will stand against attempts to reverse democratic gains that has been fought for and won,” Musyoka said.

The former VP said Kethi should be allowed to enjoy her freedoms as a citizen and a lawyer in the country following the court ruling and the drama that had ensued.

“Mistakes by IEBC should never be attributed to Kethi. We are considering an appeal against the High Court ruling so that even if she cannot contest, she can be cleared of any wrongdoing,” Musyoka said.

The CORD leaders said they will this morning be trooping to Makueni to escort Mutula Jr in presenting his nomination papers to the IEBC. Mutula Kilonzo Junior is the managing partner in Kilonzo and Company Advocates, a firm that was established by their late father Mutula in which his sister is also a partner.

The two took over the running of the firm when their late father was appointed a Cabinet minister in 2009.

Having studied law at Nagpur University, Mutula Jr specializes in litigation, arbitration, debt collection and conveyancing. He is also a member of the Law Society of Kenya as well as the Rotary Club of Langata.