Maasai politics:Uhuru,Ruto big headache

The intervention by President Uhuru Kenyatta to save Narok governor Samuel ole Tunai from public humiliation by some of Narok county leaders opposed to his style of leadership seem to have recently rubbed the governor’s critics the wrong way and they are now determined to defy the president’s directive and pursue their mission of subduing the governor to its final conclusion.

The Maasai political battles is said to be causing ripples in Jubilee with word  that deputy president and URP party leader claims the region belongs to it and those out to finish the governor are perceived to be fighting URP.  

It is said, during the State House visit, tempers flared and at one time the leaders present even threatened to storm out if the president could not intervene. Uhuru’s concern is that if he gets involved fully in Maasai politics, Ruto will feel betrayed.

Among those who chestthumped and vowed to ensure that the governor was forcibly evicted from the office using any available means include four area MP namely Moitalel Ole Kenta who spearheaded the onslaught against the governor, Patrick ole Ntutu, Korei ole Lemein and legislator Johana Ngeno.

Narok county senator, Stephen ole Ntutu, has since taken the political leadership mantle and assured leaders and residents opposed to the governor that he will lead them to political victory against the fiery governor before end of January 2015.

Efforts by Uhuru to convince Senator Ntutu led team to give room for proper investigation into the alleged massive misappropriation of funds by the governor when Uhuru summoned them to State House did not fully convince some who dismissed the president request as mere public relations.

Even before the expiry of the 21 days, the president requested the Ntutu team at a huge public baraza organised at Olololunga trading centre, the hometurf of Ntutu, where he declared to defy the president and with planned mass action with convincing revelations made public of what they were promised by the president in the next three weeks.

However, the ever smiling governor, through his political emissaries has  indicated that he is a hard nut to crack and those opposed to his leadership should do their  homework proper and put in place reasonable strategies before they embark on their mission of publicly attacking him.

The governor has called for factual evidence to prove the alleged financial impropriety during his two years in office and follow the right procedure to pin him down instead of resorting to outdated jungle rules to oust him.

With the emerging political matrix in Narok county, those interested in various political seats come 2017 general elections have started packing their political bags before shopping for their preferred political parties on which they intend to ride on their desired destinations.

Most watched is the undercover politics between Senator Ntutu and his rival for the seat, Andrew Sunkuli, and yet to be fully exposed,  Narok North parliamentary seat  aspirant come general elections, lawyer Simon Rotiken, who is expected  settle it out with incumbent, Moitalel ole Kenta.

Lydia Ntimama, the daughter of elderly William ole Ntimama, is eyeing the seat for the seat of county women representative against the incumbent Soipan Kudate. Lydia was once in ODM-Kenya, now Wiper of Kalonzo Musyoka.     Based on political scenario witnessed in Narok town during the two charged rallies organised by the Ntutu team and the recent one at Olololunga trading centre, it is crystal clear that only divine intervention will probably help calm the leaders and return sanity in the volatile county.

Narok North MP Kenta boasts of having managed to bring to his political fold, including defection to his TNA party, Ntimama thus turning the county into a pure Jubilee zone.

Kenta also claims credit for having attracted support in the fight against Governor Tunai the likes of Narok Senator Stephen ole Ntutu, three other area MPs Korei ole Lemein, Patrick ole Ntutu and Johana Ng’eno.

Other powerful political giants from the county drumming for the ouster of the governor Tunai  include  Julius Sunkuli and Ntimama  Retired , President Daniel Moi property manager Andrew ole Sunkuli who landed at  the venue in a chopper, former TLB chairman Hassan ole Kamwaro, Maa community development mobiliser Silvester ole Ntutu, Maa community lands rights activist  Meitamei ole Dapash, Ladema ole Kina , members of county assembly and  civil servants among others.

Thousands of Kikuyus living and doing business in Narok county have found themselves between a rock and hard place in the emerging political scenario in the county and are yet to declare their position.

According to the Kikuyu community, they voted for Tunai alongside Ole Kenta who won the seat on TNA ticket. Tunai and four other MPs in the county won the seats on URP tickets. Johanah Ngeno the Emurua Dikirr constituency MP won the seat on KSC ticket.

 The major accusation against the governor is that for the last two years, he allegedly mismanaged huge amounts of money earmarked for development projects, failure to consult with other stakeholders during implementation of projects in the county thus turning the activities into one-man show.

Other issues against the governor is the alleged unfair distribution of available job opportunities with claims that those  favoured are mostly his close political allies

Governor Tunai is also being accused of awarding his own company a tender to collect revenue from the Mara Game Reserve after cancelling a previous tender he found operating signed by the former Narok county council and the Equity Bank.

With Tunai’s entry into office, Kenta and Ntutu claimed that tens of revenue clerks who worked in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve entry gates as revenue clerks were removed after his company introduced e-ticketing method of revenue collection.

Tunai who has maintained that he is innocent has dismissed his critics as power hungry, self-seekers out to advance their political mileage using unorthodox methods.

They claimed that most of the issues raised by his political opponents were total falsehood meant to deviate his development agenda to concentrate on imagined defensive propaganda.

Tunai, a former security intelligent officer who served during retired President Moi era is a political ally of Deputy President William Ruto whom it is rumoured has since assured him of his personal protection in the current political wave in the county.

Those in the governor’s camp include two members of parliament namely Ken Kiloku and Gideon ole Konchella. Others are the county women representative Kudate and at least more than 30 members of county assembly led by majority leader Stephen ole Kudate and Kipsigis community who have largely benefited from Tunai leadership among others.

During the recent at Olololunga trading centre speaker after speaker led by Ntutu said they will resort to jungle rule to remove Tunai from office .

“If Hosni Mubarak and Blaise Campaore were shown exit door through public protests what is a governor in county?” asked MP Ngeno amid thunderous applause in support from the crowd.

Senator Ntutu who was among the key speakers during the rally vowed to ensure the governor whom they were elected on the same URP ticket was removed from office for allegedly failing  to account for billions of money collected from the Masaai Mara Game Reserve.

The governor and the senator who both campaigned on same platform during the last elections are rumoured to have parted ways after one failed to honour their campaign memorandum of understanding.

Senator Ntutu had allegedly pushed for employment of his two brothers in key county positions as county clerk and as assembly speaker which aggravated the animosity.

According to sources in Ntutu’s team, two Narok MPs are allegedly lined up as possible immediate replacement of Tunai and his deputy. They are Patrick Ntutu (governor) and Johana Ngeno (deputy governor) should things work their way while Francis ole Nkoitoi will replace Patrick Ntutu as Narok West MP come the moment of reckoning. Shopping for replacement of Emurua Dikirr MP is also in top gear. The anti-Tunai camp key players recently recorded statements with local police for causing disturbances.