Murang’a factor and how it might influence Baba’s pick for deputy

Ford Asili officials Kenneth Matiba, Charles Rubia, Martin Shikuku and Kihara Waithaka, Feb 1994. [File, Standard]

Political analysts have mentioned three names as likely running-mate choices for ODM leader Raila Odinga. They are Martha Karua, Lee Kinyanjui and Peter Kenneth.

The other presidential aspirant, Deputy President William Ruto, has so far only hinted at one name as a likely running mate, Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua. In character, past record, and future inclinations, Rigathi is the DP’s alter ego–cut from the same cloth.

Back to Baba. From the choice of three we apply elimination method to narrow down to one possible running mate. One of the strong arguments made for Karua is her shared history with Raila in the struggle for expansion of democratic space and gender. But shared history is not much useful in a running mate. Like in marriage, you don’t go for what you already have. You look for something different to make a wholesome.

Neither is gender a strong point. Personally, Karua has said before that if you are to give her a job because of her gender, keep it. She wants a job that comes her way because of ability, period. Temperamentally, Karua is also a rough cob to fit into the role of deputy. As long as you are Number Two, you will be expected to keep your thoughts to yourself and articulate those of the boss, a shoe that doesn’t fit Karua well.

When asked why he was saying things he hadn’t said when he was vice president, 1960 US presidential candidate Richard Nixon replied: “When you are second-in-command, your opinion must be that of Number One. You can’t have it both ways.”

As for Governor Kinyanjui, he is on record saying that while he is flattered and happy to be floated as a possible running mate, his focus is to be re-elected. Days before the granting of charter to make Nakuru town the country’s fourth city, he was quoted saying: “I see Nakuru as my baby. I will have let go the baby too early if I don’t seek a second term and complete the transformational work we have began in the town and the county at large.”

Murang’a’s turn?

That leaves Kenneth. Four things, which could be summed up as the Murang’a factor, work in his favour. Murang’a County has the largest number of registered voters in Mt Kenya region and its diaspora. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s 2017 register shows Murang’a had 587,126 voters behind Kiambu and Meru, with 1,180,920 and 702,480, respectively. However, Murang’a numbers significantly swell when you bring in the diaspora. Nairobi has 2,250,853 voters, over half who are from Mt Kenya diaspora, and especially from Murang’a.

The older generation may recall the slogan “Murang’a Takeover” in 1980s when politicians from the district wanted to sweep three quarters of electoral seats in Nairobi because they had the numbers. The explanation is that whereas majority of Mt Kenya people working or doing business in Nairobi return “home” to register as voters, those from Murang’a register in the city.

Secondly, Murang’a people constitute the largest group of traders in Nairobi. River Road district in the city is actually called “Little Murang’a”. It’s the same in several other major towns including Nakuru, Eldoret, Mombasa and Kisii. There is a history to it. At the conclusion of the First World War, whereas many of the Africans enlisted in the British Army returned to their “native” districts, those from Murang’a settled in Nairobi–at Kariokor and Pangani–to start what became River Road and the Eastlands districts.

They were soon joined by their kinsmen who flocked the city as petty traders to compete with Indian dukawallas. Murang’a traders graduated to opening their own shops. That is the origin of the famous Rwathia Group, a grouping of entrepreneurs from a locality in Murang’a by the same name. The modern-day offshoot of the Rwathia Group is the Mount Kenya Foundation now in the news.

At independence, Murang’a traders expanded their “territory” by moving to other towns. Indeed, the main reason Mt Kenya business elites in Nairobi and other towns have fully embraced the “handshake” and the Baba presidential candidacy is because they know in the event of disruptions in the city and other major towns, it is businesses–big, small and medium–owned by Mount Kenya people that largely suffer the consequences.

Third points in favour of Kenneth is that despite Murang’a having the largest number of registered voters, it is only one in the three counties of the old Central Province that has never produced a president or his deputy. From Kiambu have come two presidents in the Kenyattas, and two vice presidents; Dr Josephat Karanja and Prof George Saitoti. The latter, though hailing from Kajiado, had origins in Kiambu where his parents, Gathoni and Kiarie wa Kinuthia, came from. Nyeri had its turn in President Mwai Kibaki, who had been a VP for a decade.

Struggle for independence

Yet Murang’a is the origin of organised nationalism and armed struggle for independence. It is three sons of Murang’a residing in Nairobi’s Pangani area–Joseph Kang’ethe, Jesse Kariuki, and Job Mucucu–who came up with an idea to found the first African political party, the Kikuyu Central Association, which soon expanded membership to other communities to be renamed the East African Association.

When the political party decided to send a representative to air their demands for African rights in London, they picked a young man from Murang’a by the name James Mbugua Beauttah, but since he couldn’t travel for personal reasons, he recommended his friend, Johnstone Kamau Muigai, who later changed his name to Jomo Kenyatta.

Murang’a would later be in the frontline in the formation of Mau Mau freedom army. Two of the bravest and most strategic Mau Mau planners were generals Kago and Ihuura, after who is named General Kago Hospital in Thika and the two main stadiums in Murang’a.

In the countdown to independence, it is Murang’a that would pave the way for Kenyatta to sit in Parliament when the area representative, Kariuki wa Njiiri, stepped down for him. Fast forward to independent Kenya, two sons of Murang’a–Kenneth Matiba and Charles Rubia–would be in the frontline in the fight for multi-party democracy, to soon be joined by Raila Odinga.

Good chemistry

At personal level, Kenneth starts well as he is in good bond with Baba. After what President Uhuru Kenyatta has gone through with his deputy, no presidential candidate will want to chance with a Number Two they are not in sync with. On credentials, Kenneth has a sterling record in management of public funds and grassroots empowerment as demonstrated when he was MP.

Importantly, too, born and lived in Nairobi all his life, he has a cosmopolitan touch that makes him acceptable across the country. As a business executive, he has a wide network of stakeholders locally and abroad. For balance, his Eastlands background–jamaa wa mtaa–gives him a common-man element. He is one of the few VIPs I know to have retained one cellphone number for three decades, and will take calls even when travelling outside the country.

I hope he won’t change should he be the next occupant of that famous address in Karen.

Happy Christmas to all my readers. Tuendelee hivyo hivyo.