DNK International By Philip Mulee
As the August 10, 2027, General Elections draw near focus is in Kitui County with two women prepared to square it out among men in the gubernatorial contest.
Former Kitui Governor Charity Kaluki Ngilu and Dr. Irene Kasalu the current Woman Representative have declared their intention to vie for the county’s top seat in the 2027 general elections.
Ngilu having served as governor between 2017-2022 is not new in the county politics, while Kasalu is equally a household name having served as Woman Representative from 2017 and by 2027 will have served two terms.
For Ngilu all is clear for her to go for the seat since Narc Party she is the leader will endorse her candidature, but for Kasalu, she will have to face two other candidates under Wiper Patriotic Front Party during party preliminaries.
She is expected to square it out with Kitui Senator Enoch Kiio Wambua, a senior Wiper official, seen as a loyal party man with a steady base and Kitui Central MP Dr. Makali Mulu praised for his development track record and youth-centered programs in Kitui Central Constituency management of National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF). The two have declared interest for the seat and Wiper will sponsor one out of the three.
Whoever wins fairly during the party nominations and there is consensus among the three will have very high chances of becoming the Kitui Governor after the 2027 polls.
The controversial Wiper preliminaries of 2017 pitting the then and now governor Dr Julius Makau Malombe and then Senator David Musila led to a serious split leading Ngilu to win. The Party handed the nomination certificate to Malombe, but Musila cried foul and ran as an independent candidate. The results were disastrious to Wiper as Ngilu won followed closely by Musila with Malombe trailing on the third position. And when the party put its house in order in 2022, Malombe won overwhelmingly after Ngilu pulled out of the race. He is now serving his second and final term.
Ngilu and Kasalu are joining a crowded and competitive gubernatorial race, as several other influential figures have already declared interest in succeeding Governor Malombe.
Other than Kasalu, Wambua and Mulu who will have one of them carry the Wiper ticket, a fall out will have consequences, there is Mr Nicholas Mulila, a Safaricom executive with technocratic credentials who has emerged as a well-funded outsider.
Even though he has made inroads in the county and initiated major projects in churches and schools among other places through the Safaricom Foundation, he is yet to name the party he will use or run as an independent candidate.
There is Musili Kauta, a community advocate and reformist, appealing to voters seeking fresh leadership has also declared interest for the Kitui Governor seat.
Despite men dominating the race Ngilu and Kasalu cannot be underrated. For Ngilu, she is a veteran politician having served as Kitui Central MP for twenty years, a minister and second governor.
Dr Kasalu has also used the National Government Action Fund (NGAAF) to crisscross the entire county and if she secures the Wiper Patriotic Front Party nomination, might end up becoming the second female governor. Should Ngilu win, will serve a second and final term.
