KNUT ASSISTANT TREASURER'S POST CAMPAIGN RACE TAKE TWO-HORSE SHAPE

The race for the coveted Knut national assistant treasurer is now hitting the homestretch with two candidates emerging as the probable occupants of the seat to be left vacant by retiring Richard Kibagendi. The two, Samuel Nyairo who is the Gucha executive secretary and John Matiangi who is the Borabu executive secretary are now sparing no effort in wooing delegates ahead of December 9 D-day.
But even as the two emerge as the stronger candidates in a race that also has Margaret Obiri, the tag of a government project is threatening to work against Matiangi who is the brother of cabinet secretary Fred Matiangi. According to teachers, Matiangi is being fronted by the government so that he can take care of the government interests in Knut against the teachers’ interest.
Those who say Matiangi is the government candidate cite the fact that he has suddenly become flush with money. Matiangi has reportedly been dishing Sh10,000 to all top branch officials across the country who number 380 in total. He has also given Sh1000 each to the 1650 BEC members in the 110 branches making teachers suspect his suddenly deep pockets yet his salary is known.
Another factor complicating the race is the fact that the two come from Kisii county yet the seat should ideally have gone to Nyamira county because Nyamira should have produced the NEC to replace Geoffrey Mogire who will be retiring in 2016 which will leave Nyamira without a NEC. Mogire had initially declared that he was going to run for the national assistant treasury post but chickened after he saw the writing on the wall that he was going to lose the contest which would have left him empty-handed as then he would have by the time of contesting relinquished his BEC position. He is a BEC without a branch which made him more vulnerable.
Because he did not go for it create space for a BEC from Nyamira, Nyamira now has no candidate and will also lose the NEC when he retires.
According to those who are closely following the campaigns, Nyairo who is seen as the teachers’ project is penetrating Central and Eastern and controlling Nyanza and Rift Valley as Coast tilts towards him. With Rift Valley bringing 538 delegates and Eastern 409, Nyanza 342 Nyairo needs only top this up with Central and he is home and dry in the fight for the 2038 delegates.