Politician Johnstone Muthama will face ex-wife Agnes Kavindu for Machakos senatorial seat

Former Machakos senator Johnstone Muthama, who has been branded a Wiper Party renegade, will face ex-wife Agnes Kavindu for the Machakos senatorial seat by-election scheduled for March 18.

In handing the ticket to Muthama’s former wife, a move described by Wiper mandarins as a political masterstroke, the party appears keen to take vengeance and fight right at Muthama’s doorstep in a race is seen as a contest between him and Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka.

Lately, Muthama fronts himself as Deputy President William Ruto’s right handman in Ukambani and has publicly vowed to crush Kalonzo’s influence in the region through his UDA party. Machakos residents are, however, wondering how Muthama will campaign for his candidate against the mother of his four children.

Muthama and Kavindu divorced in 1983 but re-united and bore two more children. They parted once more and for many years after engaged in a grueling court battle over the ownership of their palatial Mua Hills home.Muthama finally managed to evict her but not before Kavindu pulled a major drama that attracted human rights activists. During this time, Kavindu claimed that at one time her estranged husband unleashed a colony of bees to render her home inhabitable and even had electricity and water to the home disconnected.

In 2017, Kavindu ran for Machakos Woman Rep on a Jubilee ticket and emerged second, garnering 92,000 votes against Wiper’s Joyce Kamene who got 217,000 votes. Many believed that it is her entry into politics and on a Jubilee ticket that forced Muthama, then a Wiper senator, to decline to defend his seat. Kavindu is a staunch Christian and preacher, who regularly gives sermons at Biblia Husema Broadcasting radio station, and she is a powerful speaker behind the microphone.

While unveiling the candidate on Wednesday, Kalonzo said they had settled on Kavindu because the party believes in women empowerment.

“We have confidence that Agnes is going to be the next senator for Machakos County. As a party, we have no business in breaking families. We have nominated her because of her qualifications but unfortunately she shares a name with others,” Kalonzo said, avoiding to mention Muthama. Muthama, a millionaire gemstone dealer, was a longtime Kalonzo supporter and is believed to have been a huge Wiper Party donor.

This is not the first time close family members will be facing off in an election battle. In 2017, Jubilee’s Beatrice Kones ran against and floored her first born son Kevin Kones, who was running on Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM).
In 1997, Norman Nyaga had to leave his Gachoka constituency seat to his older brother Joseph after consultations within the family. He vied for Kamukunji and won.

And in Narok, brothers Julius Sunkuli and Andrew Sunkuli fought over the Narok senatorial seat in 2013, both losing to Stephen Ole Ntutu.