Wiper flexes muscles in Machakos with Agnes Kavindu win

Wiper Senatorial candidate Agnes Kavindu is taken through voting process before casting her vote during the Machakos Senatorial by-elections at Kathome polling station, in Machakos County on March 18, 2021. [Photo: John Muia, Standard]

To the UDA brigade that camped in Machakos for days, the Machakos Senatorial by-election was going to be a close contest in which their candidate Urbanus Ngengele had an upper hand.

His chief campaigner was none other than Johnstone Muthama, the party chairman and former occupant of the same seat.

The main opponent, Agnes Kavindu Muthama was also not a stranger. She is a person he knew very well.

When Maendeleo Chap Chap aspirant John Mutua Katuku pulled out after a discussion between President Uhuru Kenyatta and party leader Machakos Governor Dr Alfred Mutua, UDA stalwarts claimed they were chickening out after sensing defeat. One of the key stalwarts, Millicent Omanga was quick to rubbish them.

"Sensing crashing defeat from UDA, deep state, in connivance with Maendeleo Chap Chap (MCC), has sweet-talked the MCC candidate to withdraw from Machakos senatorial by-election in favour of the weak Wiper candidate. We're going to hang them together on Election Day," she said.

However, the results have painted a completely different picture. It seems even the Maendeleo Chap Chap candidate John Katuku who pulled may not have had a chance after all. Is it the party or is it the person?

The question can be well answered by going back to 2017 when Agnes Kavindu vied for the Woman Representative position on a Jubilee ticket and was trounced by Joyce Kamene from Wiper.

This time, she was on a Wiper ticket and trounced her closest challenger by over 80,000 votes.

It is evident then that Wiper remains the party to beat in the larger Ukambani region even as we head to the next elections.

UDA will have to restrategise now that Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka has already chosen his side; the side of the Sacred Alliance consisting of ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi, KANU leader Gideon Moi and FORD Kenya leader Moses Wetangula.

The Wiper party has also sent a clear message to other parties in the region including Muungano Party of Makueni Governor Prof Kivutha Kibwana, Chama cha Uzalendo through which the former senator, the late Bonface Kabaka was elected and Kaluki Ngilu’s NARC.

However, UDA leaders are quick to downplay the setback. Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot used a short poem to pass his message. It reads:

"U. D. A. Raiding people's bedroom's since 2020. Sometimes we just make out. Sometimes we go all the way. Both have a good feel... Woke up to Jah Cure's 'Respect the hustlers in the streets."