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Citizen Weekly

Sunday, 10 May 2015

Quiet supremacy wars in Nairobi politics

Schemes and counterschemes are   secretly emerging in Nairobi city politics within both Cord and Jubilee ahead of 2017 polls. 
In  ODM  which  is allied to Cord and which happens to have won  majority of political   seats in   both  parliament  and county assembly,  former Makadara  MP  Reuben  Ndolo  is back  in  the limelight  with  a one Prof Wajackoyo . 
During  Labour  Day  prayers  at St Stephens’ Church   along Jogoo  Road  and attended  by  Cotu   secretary   general   Francis Atwoli  and other  luminaries, Ndolo’s  presence was felt. 
He had just arrived in the country   after being elected the Ambassador of Commonwealth   Africa Boxing Council.  It  is said both  Prof  Wajackoyo  and  Ndolo   owe  a lot to  Atwoli   on  grounds  he  has fully  supported  Cotu chairman   Rajab  Mondi   a man  who   sponsored  them  to  go   for further  studies  abroad. 
Ndolo  is said  to  be mobilising  ODM  and Cord supporters  in  the entire  Nairobi   county on the grounds   the  alliance  activities  are not being  felt  for now. He, Ndolo, will go for  Makadara  parliamentary  seat.
Within  city  politics, ODM  is dead as TNA luminaries crisscross and  consolidate  areas they  control led  by  Starehe MP Maina  Kamanda. The Kamanda camp has sidelined Senator Mike Sonko Mbuvi. 
George Aladwa is Nairobi’s ODM chairman.  He is said to be at war with two city elected politicians Ishrad Sumra and Elizabeth Ongoro. Fear is if ODM is not careful, things will not be good in the coming future. 
Talk is that Ongoro and Sumra with the backing of ODM chairman John   Mbadi  are out to undermine Aladwa is the talk of town. 
Surprisingly, Aladwa for now has joined efforts with Ndolo to mobilise party   supporters.  Aladwa plans to run for senatorship  in 2017. 
Aladwa team had John Kiarie as organising secretary and Geoffrey   Majiwa as secretary general. Kiarie  is now  associated  with  TNA  while Majiwa, a former city mayor  is in  Wiper  party. 
It is said with the blessings of Mbadi that Sumra and Ongoro have hijacked ODM using Okoa Kenya initiative.  That Mbadi  is out to  control  city  politics  was seen  during  the late Fidel  Odinga’s funeral  in  Nairobi. 
In  the presence of Uhuru  Kenyatta  and Raila Odinga, Ndolo  had to  physically   wrestle and hand over  the microphone to  secretary general   Ababu  Namwamba  after Mbadi   had denied  him  an  opportunity  to  speak.  The branch chairman Ochieng Njela was with the microphone. 
It is said that Mbadi did not want Ndolo   to speak.  Insiders say, what is happening in Nairobi is part of the battles in Luo Nyanza politics. 
In Cord for now, it is Aladwa teaming up  with  Ndolo   to  counter  Sumra-Ongoro  camp. 
Come to Jubilee, Sonko is a lonely and isolated man in the 2017 game plan.  TNA Kikuyu   MPs have ganged up against him and   are supporting Dagoretti   South MP Dennis Waweru.  The pro-Waweru   camp   has support of State House operators led by Uhuru   favourite cousin Beth Mugo, a nominated senator.
It is said that  Beth  Mugo  is close to  the president  to  an  extent they  talk  on  daily  basis.  In fact it is Uhuru who proposed her nomination to the senate. 
She is the person who was in charge of Mathare by-election last year which Jubilee lost to Cord.  Mugo  is said to  have reported to  Uhuru that  Sonko   was not involved  in the Mathare campaigns  and only  surfaced when  the president  toured the constituency   to  campaign for the TNA candidate.  This started the beginning of the end of Uhuru-Sonko relationship   which is now at its lowest ebb. 
It is not known which way Margaret Wanjiru will take after defecting to Jubilee from Cord son his son won the by-election.  Just like Sonko, she is not wanted. 
However,  other  sources  say  for  Uhuru   not to  be seen    as a tribalist in  Nairobi   politics,  he may  back  Eugiene  Wamalwa  for governorship  slot to  win   the Luhya  city  vote  and in  Western  region. 
Unconfirmed reports said in  the plot to  have New Ford Kenya  join  Jubilee  Alliance  Party,  a bargain   is to  have NFK  get Nairobi   governorship   backing  once it is dissolved. 
Those  pushing  for the idea  include  former  cabinet ministers Musikari  Kombo,  Soita  shitanda and Joash  Wamang’oli.  The trio   landed parastatal positions in the recent presidential   appointments. 
It is said those pushing Wamalwa for Nairobi slot want the backing of Kikuyu and substantial Luhya bloc vote in the city.  The Kalenjin  side of William  Ruto  in  URP  has bought  the idea  since compared to  Luhyas, they have no  numbers  in  city  politics . 
In  the scheme is to revive  2007  politics where  Stanley Livondo  was fronted to  take on  Raila in  Langata  constituency. 
The appointment of Eugene Wamalwa to cabinet is part of the strategy to revive him for the 2017   Nairobi politics.  If  this is the case,  Waweru   is just being  used to  lay  ground  for  Wamalwa  and keep  off Sonko   from  Jap  come 2017. 
The  question   is,  can  Wamalwa  defeat  Governor  Evans  Kidero   in  Nairobi   governorship  race?  Kidero for now, has no challenger on Cord ticket

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