Ngilu and Ndotto find themselves in an uneasy alliance

Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu and County Assembly Speaker George Ndotto greet each other after holding a meeting in the governor's office. They agreed to work together. PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • In 1992, Mrs Ngilu contested the Kitui Central seat on a Democratic Party ticket and trounced Mr Ndotto.
  • He lost four consecutive parliamentary elections to Mrs Ngilu — 1992, 1997, 2002 and 2007 — before giving up the chase.

The long-standing political rivalry between Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu and County Assembly Speaker George Ndotto casts a large shadow as the latter begins his second term in office.

Mr Ndotto is best known for the 20 years he spent attempting to unseat Mrs Ngilu as MP for Kitui Central Constituency though their political history has remained inextricably linked.

KANU

The former Cabinet minister in President Daniel arap Moi’s government began his career as a district officer.

He served in Pumwani, Nairobi, and was later transferred to Murang’a.

He was made the head of the government medical supplies unit before being transferred to head the prestigious directorate of external trade at the Finance Ministry.

It is while at the National Treasury that Mr Ndotto was identified by Kanu power brokers as their preferred candidate for the Kitui Central seat in the controversial 1988 mlolongo (queue voting) elections, when area MP John Mutinda opted out of the race.

DEFEAT
After the elections, Mr Ndotto was appointed to the Cabinet but soon after fell out with Mrs Ngilu, who was Kitui Maendeleo ya Wanawake chairperson and one of his key supporters.

In the first multi-party elections in 1992, Mrs Ngilu contested the Kitui Central seat on Mr Mwai Kibaki’s Democratic Party ticket and trounced Mr Ndotto.

However, Kanu nominated Mr Ndotto to Parliament and named him a member of the Speaker’s panel.

PRESIDENCY
Their rivalry was manifest in the manner in which they went for each other’s jugulars during debates.

Mrs Ngilu was a thorn in Kanu’s flesh.

Hansard reports of the Eighth Parliament show the two trading barbs over many issues, including the conduct of chiefs and police officers and grabbing of public land in Kitui District.

When Mrs Ngilu ran for presidency in 1997, excitement rippled across Kitui, the country and continent as she was the first woman to do so.

Mr Ndotto was again, staring at defeat.

COUNTY ASSEMBLY
He lost four consecutive parliamentary elections to Mrs Ngilu — 1992, 1997, 2002 and 2007 — before giving up the chase.

He contested and won the county assembly Speaker’s position in 2013.

The Kanu-era politician, who is perhaps the oldest county assembly Speaker in Kenya, beat his closest challenger, Bernard Kitindio, in the second round of voting to win a second term.

Wiper MCAs, who are the majority in the House, gave Mr Ndotto 40 votes against Mr Kitindio’s 14.

Though Mrs Ngilu and Mr Ndotto have agreed to work together, any slight misunderstanding may be interpreted as renewal for their feud.

UNITY
Mr Ndotto paid a courtesy call on Mrs Ngilu last week, where the two discussed the county legislative agenda and later emerged from the office smiling and cracking jokes.

Soon after being sworn into office, the Speaker said ward representatives had shown confidence in his leadership.

“I am grateful to the members of county assembly and promise to serve all without favour or bias and for the greater good of Kitui County,” the veteran politician said.

RIVALRY

Mr Ndotto’s election may renew political rivalry between Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and the governor after Wiper MCAs backed off from an earlier agreement to rally behind the young lawyer who contested the Kitui South seat as an independent on August 8.

The deal saw two other candidates — Mr John Makau and Mr Samson Masila — withdraw from the race in favour of Mr Kitindio but MCAs sprung a surprise by voting for Mr Ndotto.

The Speaker’s race was seen as a contest of various sub-counties, regardless of intense lobbying by candidates.

POWER
The assembly was expected to avoid concentrating power in one region.

Mr Kitindio was the favourite because he hails from Kitui South, a region that held no senior position in the vast county.

Mr Ndotto and Mrs Ngilu are from Kitui Central, Senator Enoch Wambua from Kitui West while Deputy Governor Wathe Nzau and Woman Representative Irene Kasalu are from Mwingi Central.