- The region enjoys a huge presence in government despite opposing Uhuru’s presidential bids in 2013 and 2017
- It has produced Cabinet Secretaries, Permanent Secretaries, CASs, envoys and state corporation heads
- Ukambani has also benefitted from mega-development projects, among them Konza City and Thwake Dam
- Pundits say Uhuru’s dalliance with Ukambani has validated his inclusivity bid and desire to develop Kenya evenly
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In both the 2013 and 2017 general elections, the Ukambani region overwhelmingly voted for the opposition wing led by Raila Odinga.
But despite the extensive opposition to Uhuru Kenyatta’s presidential bids, the region has remained at the heart of his administration.
State appointments
Several Ukambani leaders have been appointed to key positions in government.
At the same time, the region has also greatly benefited from the Jubilee government’s development agenda, with mega projects underway in the region.
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The love-hate relationship that has highlighted Uhuru’s accommodative nature dates back to 2012 when Ukambani kingpin Kalonzo Musyoka rallied key political players from the region to support the candidature of Raila, who he deputised under the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord).
Among the other key leaders from the South Eastern region who Kalonzo tagged along to Cord were Johnson Muthama, David Musila, Mutula Kilonzo and Kivutha Kibwana, with Narc leader Charity Ngilu the only notable exception.
When the political dust settled, Uhuru, who was declared the winner, expectedly appointed Ngilu to head the powerful Lands docket.
But the president surprised many when he appointed Cleopa Mailu as Health CS and Monica Juma as the PS in the Defense ministry.
Juma has since been an ever-present figure in Uhuru‘s Cabinet, rising the ranks to head the powerful Foreign Affairs and Defense dockets.
In addition, Kiema Kilonzo was appointed Kenya's ambassador to Turkey in 2014 before being redeployed to Uganda in 2018.
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Uhuru also appointed several leaders from Ukambani to the boards of state corporations in 2015.
For instance, Raymond Kibwana was appointed to chair Kenya Trade Network Agency Board, Wavinya Ndeti was picked to serve as trustee of the Water Services Trust Fund.
Kalembe Ndile was appointed member of the Water Services Regulatory Board. In contrast, the youthful Fred Muteti was appointed chairperson of Sports Kenya.
Angelina Nduku Kioko, Mary Wanja Matu and Florence Muthua Muthee, among others, were appointed to serve in various parastatals as board members.
Despite this positive gesture, the region still defied Uhuru and overwhelmingly voted for Raila’s NASA coalition in 2017.
Just like in 2013, Raila stuck with Kalonzo and tried to wrestle power from Uhuru, who was pulling alongside his deputy, William Ruto.
However, they were trounced again, and their supporters found themselves in the opposition once again.
Presence in Uhuru's Cabinet
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But the Ukambani region never felt the pinch. Just like in the previous election, it emerged as one of the greatest beneficiaries of Uhuru’s inclusivity bid and endeavoured to have the face of Kenya in his Cabinet.
When he retreated to reorganise his administration, Uhuru evidently put the aspirations and interests of the Akamba people so close to his heart that he even reached out to his fiercest critics to mend walls.
After reconciling with Raila in March 2018 to mark the end of their long-standing political feud, Uhuru embarked on bringing Kalonzo and his allies on board.
He would later appoint the latter Kenya’s special envoy to South Sudan.
The region further appeared to get more than it had bargained for when Uhuru not only rewarded key leaders who stood firmly with Jubilee against the NASA wave in Ukambani but also appointed their local rivals to government.
Wavinya Ndeti, who had unsuccessfully vied for the Machakos gubernatorial seat in Kalonzo’s camp, was appointed to chair the governing council of the Kenya Water Institute before and later appointed Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) in the Ministry of Transport.
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Renowned businessman Peter Mathuki, who was one of the few leaders who stood with Uhuru in Ukambani from 2013, was appointed Secretary-General of the East African Community while former Mwingi Central MP Joe Mutambu, an ardent Jubilee supporter and grassroots mobilisers who lost his seat in 2017, was appointed to chair the Water Resources Authority board.
Other individuals appointed to various boards included Mutisya Kivuva (Kenya Institute of Mass Communication), Eng. Benjamin Maingi (Kenya Broadcasting Corporation), Jane Mwikali (National Water and Harvesting Storage Authority), Janet Mbete (Tourism Research Institute), Alphonse Kioko (Kenya Utalii College), Kalembe Ndile and Agnes Muthama (Tanathi Waterworks Development Agency).
As if that was not enough, Dr Mercy Mwangangi was appointed Health CAS to boost the Ukambani presence in the Jubilee government while top spy Hillary Mutyambai was appointed the Inspector General of Police. Former CS Mailu is currently serving as Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva.
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Key developments projects initiated by the Jubilee government in the region include the multi-billion shilling Konza City in Machakos and the transformative Thwake Dam in Makueni.
Pundits admit that Uhuru’s embracing of Ukambani has underlined the realness of his inclusivity bid and desire to develop the country evenly.
According to political analyst Herman Manyora, the head of state has spread his political tentacles in the Ukambani region and is likely to influence the political direction the region will take in 2022.
“Uhuru has a very good track record in Ukambani, and that is why all top political leaders from that region are rallying behind him. None of the three governors is opposed to him. We only have a few leaders like Muthama, who are allied to the deputy president. I believe Uhuru is likely to influence Ukambani politics in 2022, not just because of the state appointments but also because of the multi-billion projects he has launched in the area,” Manyora explained.
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In November 2018, Kalonzo best illustrated the urge for Ukambani to be in government and its indebtedness to Uhuru when he declared he would be the president’s errand boy from now on.
Months later, his party signed a post-election cooperation agreement with Jubilee to strengthen ties.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
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