Matungu mini poll: Top leaders to test political strength ahead of 2022 polls
Deputy President William Ruto (left) greets ODM leader Raila Odinga as ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi (right) watches during the 56th Madaraka Day Celebrations at Narok Stadium.
What you need to know:
- The Matungu seat fell vacant following the death of MP Justus Murunga on November 14 and was buried on December 5 at his home in Makunda village.
- Mr Murunga was elected on an ANC party ticket but joined the DP and became one of his henchmen from the Western region.
After garnering victory against the Handshake candidate in the Msambweni by-election, allies of the Deputy President William Ruto are now warming up for the Matungu parliamentary seat where they have promised their competitors a bruising defeat in the forthcoming mini-poll.
The Matungu seat fell vacant following the death of MP Justus Murunga on November 14 and was buried on December 5 at his home in Makunda village.
On Friday, former Kakamega senator Boni Khalwale, Mumias East MP Benjamin Washiali, Didmus Barasa (Kimilili), and Malulu Injendi (Malava) said they will launch a tough campaign for the candidate who will be endorsed by the DP.
Mr Murunga was elected on an ANC party ticket but joined the DP and became one of his henchmen from the Western region.
Matungu has five wards of Koyonzo, Namamali, Mayoni, Kholera and Khalaba with a population of about 61,000 voters from the 2017 IEBC registers.
Mayoni, Namamali and Kholera have each produced an MP. The first MP Joseph Wamukoya (1997–2002) was from Mayoni ward, David Were (2002-2017) was from Namamali and the late Murunga who had served for only three years was from Kholera ward.
Strong candidate
Koyonzo ward, with the highest number of votes, and Khalaba ward, with the least number of votes, have never produced an MP.
Political analyst Martin Oloo says the antagonism between the Abashitsetse clan and the rest of the other clans has been a key factor in Matungu politics.
“The people of Matungu will be looking for a leader who can erase these clan biases and unite them as one. They feel that the previous leadership has largely been responsible for promoting clan discrimination,” said Mr Oloo.
He notes that in the by-election, a strong candidate is likely to gunner maximum votes from his home ward and then look for additional from others.
Mr Washiali said Team Ruto had launched grassroots mechanisms to identify a good candidate who will work with Ruto, like the late Murunga was doing.
Chest-thump
“We don’t want to chest-thump but we are moving technically in Matungu so that we identify a good leader for the people. We want a leader who will work with the friends of the late Murunga and complete the projects that were initiated by the late MP,” said Mr Washiali.
ODM, ANC and Jubilee parties are expected to face off in Matungu. The choice of a party candidates will be critical in the poll that will be used to determine the strength of the political parties ahead of the 2022 General Election with strong input expected to come from the DP.
Whereas ANC was hitherto a weak party in Kakamega County, the results of 2017 General Election has emboldened its leadership that wants to reclaim the Matungu seat.
The Mudavadi-led party managed five out of the 12 parliamentary seats in the county, Jubilee (4) while ODM which had dominated the region garnered only two seats.
It, therefore, means that ODM with its minimal performance in the 2017 elections in Kakamega will have to properly brand its candidate to wage a war on the combined Musalia and Wetangula, and probably DP Rutos forces.
ODM party will be looking up to Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya to prove his vigour in western and particularly Kakamega County in.
Lugari MP Ayub Savula said ANC had identified a strong candidate in Matungu and were determined to recapture the seat that was left vacant by the death of Mr Murunga.
