Nairobi News

NewsWhat's Hot

REVEALED: William Ruto’s daughter holds top diplomatic post in Rome


A murky contest between Jubilee and Nasa over who is more inclined to nepotism and tribalism has kicked off in earnest – thanks to a decision by Wiper party to name the opposition’s deputy presidential candidate Kalonzo Musyoka’s son as nominee to the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala).

Kick-starting the unlikely contest ahead of the main one slated for August, National Assembly Leader of Majority Aden Duale, vowed to block the youthful lawyer, Mr Kennedy Kalonzo, saying the Jubilee wing would not allow Opposition leaders to appoint their sons, brothers and relatives to national positions.

Taking a cue from the Garissa Town MP, Deputy President William Ruto, while speaking in Kilgoris, Narok County, said the Opposition no longer had the moral authority to lecture Jubilee on tribalism or nepotism.

RESCINDED DECISION

“They have been telling us they do not want tribalism, but they fronted their brothers and sons for the Eala positions,” he said in reference to Mr Musyoka’s son and Nasa presidential candidate Raila Odinga’s elder brother, Dr Oburu Oginga, who initially applied for nomination to Eala but rescinded his decision five days ago.

Even as the Jubilee top guns come heavy on the Nasa leaders, they are also not clean.

The Sunday Nation has reliably established that the DP’s daughter, Ms June Chepchirchir, holds the senior rank of second counsellor in the Kenyan embassy in Rome, Italy.

Even though she has qualifications in international relations, our sources at Foreign Affairs Ministry say it is a fast climb.

Nasa’s Pentagon member and former Foreign Affairs minister, Moses Wetang’ula, appeared to allude to this factor when he accused the Jubilee administration of making unilateral appointments “of children and relatives of the President and his deputy to our foreign missions for no special qualifications other than kinship.”

ANGRY REACTION

In the angry reaction to the DP’s sentiments in Kilgoris, Wetang’ula singles out President Uhuru Kenyatta’s nephew, Jomo Gecaga, who serves in State House as the President’s Private Secretary and his niece Ms Nana Gecaga who is the Managing Director of the Kenyatta International Convention Centre.

Similarly, when Mr Odinga served as Prime Minister, he was accused of influencing the appointments of his sister, Dr Wenwa Akinyi, who was posted as Consulate General in the US and his brother-in-law Elkana Odembo as Kenya’s ambassador to the US.

And during the 2013 General Election, Mr Odinga’s ODM party nominated Dr Oburu, the party leader’s elder brother, to the National Assembly.

Mr Kenyatta’s TNA pulled a similar trick by handing his cousin, Ms Beth Mugo, a nomination slot to the Senate.

NONE IS CLEAN

It appears none of the feuding sides is clean with regard to the nepotism claims. On the flipside, though, the related accusations have only served to energise their electoral challengers.

Claiming Jubilee and Nasa leaders “are dirty in equal measure” and cannot offer Kenyans “anything new”, Dr Ekuru Aukot, presidential aspirant on the Thirdway Alliance party, maintains the best alternative for Kenyans lies in the hands of the so-called periphery candidates.

Mr Musyoka’s son may well be a deserving upcoming politician, identified through a transparent process, but the timing is not right.