Kitui set for bruising battle for Wiper Party ticket

The battle for Kitui, NASA Co-Principal Kalonzo Musyoka’s home turf, governor’s seat is promising to be the hottest in Ukambani region, having attracted the interests of the County Senator David Musila, Ex-land CS Ms Charity Ngilu, and incumbent Governor Julius Malombe.

It is promising to be a fierce battle between the two incumbents who are facing off for the Wiper Party Ticket, in a nomination process that is taking place today. As far as nominations are concerned, veteran politician Charity Ngilu will be looking to be the first female governor on a NARC Party.

Governor blamed for incompetence in running Kitui

Senator David Musila has maintained that numerous corruption scandals and procurement irregularities have seen the county kept from reaping the fruits of devolution and the only solution is for a change at the helm of leadership.

“If you look at the senior county officials, most of them hail for Malombe’s home of Kitui Central Constituency yet there is supposed to be a regional balance,” the senator said accusing Governor Malombe of nepotism.

Charity Ngilu has also criticized Governor Malombe for not addressing the water issue in the county, saying that the money given to Kitui from the central government is enough to sink boreholes in every village under just one year.

However, the governor has on numerous occasions remained adamant that he will successfully defend his seat while, laughing off his rivals’ accusations and maintaining that his re-election bid will be based on his development record since he took office in 2013. Personally, he has boasted of improving the county roads as well as bettering electricity connection.

Battle lines drawn

In 2013, Senator Musila was believed to be vital to Malombe’s governorship campaign, as he convinced people of Kitui to vote for him but four years down the line, the once political allies have turned rivals.

Kitui will today decide who will be Wiper’s flag bearer in an exercise that will attract much attention from party leader Kalonzo Musyoka who will be banking on his party to retain the governorship, though he will be wary not to be seen as backing a particular candidate for the ticket.

The recent move by the party’s National Election Board (NEB) to abolish the use of party cards in the nominations has been met by criticism from Dr Malombe who had invested heavily on recruiting party members. NEB insists that being a Wiper Party stronghold, every person in Ukambani Region should be entitled to participate in today’s primaries.

Speaking to Citizen TV this morning, Governor Malombe is having faith that the primaries will be free, fair and credible.

“NEB has set out to conduct credible election, but it should be wary of some people who are trying to sabotage the process. Senator Musila is accusing me of organizing violence, I want to tell my people that he is playing propaganda against me,” said the governor.

The winner in today’s nomination exercise in Kitui will then face off with Charity Ngilu, who has since shifted allegiance to the opposition coalition, NASA, a move that political pundits have argued is strategic for her not to be seen as going contrary to the Emali Declaration’s mission of supporting Kalonzo’s flag bearer under NASA.