Mugo Njeru And Waikwa Maina
8 July 2007
Nairobi — A 32-year-old man is bracing himself for a fight in Kangema constituency with Internal Security Minister John Michuki in a duel dubbed the battle of David and Goliath.
Mr Michuki's nightmare is not only the young man who has sprung up, but also the tormenting Mungiki menace that has focused its criminal activities in Kangema.
Mr Paul Kimani Mugo has come up to challenge Mr Michuki, who is one of a few ministers who were expected to go back unopposed.
But it will be a herculean task for the youthful Mugo in his quest to unseat one of the most powerful Cabinet ministers in Kenya, who is also a close confidant of President Kibaki.
The dare-devil is already feeling the heat of threatening the minister's turf.
Only three weeks ago, Mr Mugo was arrested in the streets of Nairobi by police officers who, he claims, trailed him all the way from Kangema over allegations of careless driving.
Locked up
He was locked up at Central police station but was released two days later, and ordered to report there daily.
Mr Mugo sees a powerful hand in the matter which, nonetheless, ended after he hired a lawyer. He is certain he has not seen the last of it.
Until the Mungiki gangs struck a few months ago, Mr Michuki had been enjoying a high political profile at the national level and in the constituency.
The sect sent a strong message to him and the Government through heartless beheading of innocent people, especially matatu operators and other perceived enemies.
Mr Michuki has taken a hard stance against the gangs and has vowed to use the Government security machinery to wipe them out.
Last month, the gangs killed four members of a family in Kangema who included a chief. They also killed another chief in President Kibaki's Othaya constituency.
The Government has retaliated through swift action from police who have killed Mungiki suspects in Murang'a, Kiambu and Nairobi.
Kangema's economic mainstay is coffee, tea and dairy farming.
The issues expected to dominate the campaigns include poor payments to coffee and tea farmers.
Local dairy farmers are yet to benefit from the revival of the New KCC, and most of the milk from the area is bought by Mr Michuki's political rival, Mr Maina Njire.
Mr Michuki is strategising on how best to deal with Mr Mugo who has been going round promising to revitalise the tea sub- sector while describing the minister as a "brutal person".
Mr Mugo, a businessman in Nairobi, comes from a humble background at Rwathia village, another tea growing area.
He is banking on the support of the 60 per cent youth population to turn tables on the minister. Mr Michuki's dilemma seems to be the fact that the youthful voters seem to be listening to Mr Mugo.
Mr Michuki's immense power seems to have cowed away his former political rivals unless they are scheming to spring a surprise towards the end of the race.
Many of his former opponents have been appointed to plum jobs in government.
They include lawyer Muturi Kigano, who was appointed to the Electoral Commission of Kenya.
Mr Kigano vied against Mr Joseph Kamotho in 1974 in the bigger Kangema but lost by a narrow margin.
Kangema was the largest constituency in Murang'a North district until 1997 when it was split into two to give birth to Mathioya.
After 1974, Mr Kigano took a long break from politics only to resurface during pressure for multi-partyism that culminated in the 1992 multi-party elections.
Another issue Mr Michuki will have to contend with is the composition of the CDF management committee which his rivals say comprises his allies.
The committee is also being accused of arrogance, using the minister's name to intimidate others.
There are also complaints of mismanagement of the kitty.
Among controversial projects being talked about is Gitugu dispensary which was allocated Sh1,020,000 but only a verandah was extended.
The sub-location development committees elected by the community in 2003 were disbanded and replaced by people said to be close to the minister.
Tea and coffee leaders also accuse him of meddling in their affairs.
Mr Mugo is telling voters that Mr Michuki's life has been a bed of roses, having served in successive governments.
He was a District Officer under the colonial government. Come independence, founding President Jomo Kenyatta appointed him permanent secretary and he went on to become the chairman of the biggest indigenous bank - the Kenya Commercial Bank.
Kitchen Cabinet
He served in Mr Daniel arap Moi's Government as an assistant minister and he is now a member of the kitchen Cabinet in Mr Kibaki's administration.
The older generation in Kangema and the entire Central Province has not forgotten his role during the colonial rule, which saw him nicknamed "Kimendero" (the crusher).
Mr Mugo feels that unlike in the 2002 General Election when Kenyans voted against Kanu in a euphoria, voters in Kangema will be looking for an energetic visionary leader.
But Mr Michuki's supporters see Mr Mugo as a day-dreamer. During the Narc-K grassroots elections, the minister and his supporters won with a landslide.
Mr Mugo comes from Kanyenya-ini location. If elected to Parliament, Mr Mugo says he will ensure equal and fair distribution of resources, and it will be the responsibility of the community to rank projects according to their priorities.
Mr Mugo promises to initiate a revolving fund to cater for students from poor families, the disabled and orphans.
Other potential candidates are a Nairobi engineer Kenneth Kuria Muchohi, whose daughter married Mr Michuki's son. The new relationship might not allow him to contest against the minister.
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