Mburu Threatens To Uproot Martin From Mowlem Ward

Politician George Mburu.

Mowlem Ward MCA Martin Kinyanjui could face an uphill task defending his seat in the 2017 General Election. George Mburu, a public relations specialist, has declared his interest in contesting for the Mowlem MCA seat in the next election. Mr Kinyanjui and Mr Mburu are set to face off in the battle for the Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP) ticket ahead of the general election.

Contest for JAP ticket
Mr Mburu has stated that he intends to vie for the Mowlem MCA seat on JAP ticket. Although Mr Kinyanjui has not said on which party ticket he hopes to defend his seat, he is also likely to go for JAP ticket. And that is where he will come face-to-face with Mr Mburu before the winner in the party primaries faces opponents from other parties in the main election.

Mr Kinyanjui was elected the Mowlem MCA on a The National Alliance (TNA) party ticket. He beat several candidates to clinch the TNA ticket in a hotly contested nomination that was conducted at a ground near Tononoka steel factory in Mowlem. Mr Kinyanjui went on to beat opponents from Orange Democratic Party (ODM), Ford-Kenya, Wiper Democratic Party (WDP) and a host of other parties to win the Mowlem MCA seat.

MCA Martin Kinyanjui (right) issuing bursaries.

Crucial youth support
But Mr Kinyanjui, a dreadlocked politician who won the majority of votes in Mowlem largely because of the favor he enjoyed among the youth, will head into the next election with some of his previous advantages diluted. Just like Mr Kinyanjui, Mr. Mburu is also a youthful politician aged about 29 years.

However, Mr Mburu will have to fight long and hard to counter the wave of a widely popular Mr. Kinyanjui who also enjoys cordial relationship with Embakasi West MP George Theuri.

Boards announcing development projects in Mowlem Ward typically bear the names of Mr Kinyanjui and Mr Theuri, an indication that the two politicians are trying to help each other prove that they are delivering on their campaign promises.

Getting known by voters
Mr Mburu’s greatest initial hurdle in Mowlem is likely to be introducing himself to the voters. He hails from Umoja 3, but it is not known how much political support he enjoys in his backyard. It is also not clear at this juncture who his point men are in other areas of Mowlem Ward to help him run an effective campaign. Mr Kinyanjui will likely rely on the campaign machine he built in 2013 to help him retain his seat.