Wiper takes Machakos senatorial contest to UDA by fielding Muthama relative
Wiper Party is plotting to take its war with Democratic Alliance (UDA) national chairman Johnstone Muthama to his home turf by fielding his estranged wife Agnes Kavindu to run for the Machakos Senate seat.
The thinking in the Kalonzo Musyoka-led party is that UDA, which is associated with Deputy President William Ruto, might clear Muthama to contest the seat in the by-election slated for March 18.
The Wiper move is calculated to tame Muthama — a fierce critic of Kalanzo — an ardent campaigner for Ruto in Ukambani.
Last week, former Kibwezi MP Kalembe Ndile, Lower Eastern Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) co-coordinator Jackson Kala and the late senator Boniface Kabaka’s widow Jenifer Mueni were interviewed for the post.
It is understood that the party had settled on Mueni but the decision was rescinded following protests by the late senator’s Chama Cha Uzalendo (CCU) party.
Kathiani MP Robert Mbui who doubles as Wiper Party national organising secretary yesterday said the party had settled on Kavindu.
“We have Agnes Muthama on our side and she is a strong candidate and already has given us all Muthama’s secrets and we will floor him very early morning” said Mbui.
In what appears to be a looming battle royal between Muthama and Kalonzo, Mbui said that having Kavindu on board was the final nail in Muthama’s political coffin.
Kavindu who contested Machakos Women Rep seat in the 2017 polls and garnered 96,000 votes on a Jubilee ticket, was a member of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) Task Force.
“We know they (Tanga Tanga) want to sponsor Muthama as the candidate and we are waiting for him.
He has been pronouncing himself as a political giant but we will send a close relative,” said Mbui.
But Muthama has reiterated that he will not vie for any elective position come 2022 and that he was working with Ruto towards forming the next government.
Muthama fell out with Musyoka in the run up to the 2017 general election dropping a bid to defend his senator position.
Muthama who doesn’t see eye to eye with Kalonzo teamed up Ruto, a move that rattled his former party boss who has now decided to take the battle to Muthama’s turf.
Speaking on Saturday during the burial of James Ngui Ndambuki, an uncle of Makueni senator Mutula Kilonzo Jnr at Mbooni, Muthama made it clear that his train with DP Ruto has disembarked urging the Kamba Community to join for the purposes of making the next government together.
“We teamed up with DP Ruto to form the next government after Kalonzo Musyoka decided to become a spanner boy. I have carried him (Kalonzo) on my back for 30 years and am now calling him and other interested players to join us in UDA,” said Muthama.
