Is Evans Ondieki the kingmaker in Nairobi politics?

As the campaigns for the 1992 General Elections reached fever pitch, a fresh law graduate was at the helm of the well-oiled brigade mandated that saw former president Daniel arap Moi remain in State House.

Two decades later, Evans Ondieki would repeat the feat, this time with Evans Kidero who became Nairobi’s first governor on the promise of running the capital with corporate efficiency. But their marriage has proven short-lived.

It could be argued that the governor never had Mr Ondieki’s heart, having snatched him from the rival camp of Ferdinand Waititu just before the 2013 elections.

Mr Ondieki now has a new ally, former Devolution secretary Anne Waiguru, whom he is fronting for governor come next year’s election.

Whether he was pushed out of City Hall for dining with the enemy or for failing to clean up the streets, the sacking of Mr Ondieki from his post of environment executive after two and a half years has become quite a stinker.

But he is not about to meekly walk away. Earlier this week, he sued Dr Kidero, piling more misery on the city chief who is already grappling with the headcahe of a Sh200 million bribe allegation.

Mr Ondieki, now a senior advocate, claims he was judged to have strayed too close to Ms Waiguru for the comfort of the Opposition-affiliated governor, earning him the sack two weeks ago.

He says Dr Kidero is living on borrowed time and the future of Nairobi is Ms Waiguru.

Mr Ondieki reckons that his decades of arguing cases for the poor without asking for fees has earned him solid grassroot following of thousands, voters that would see Ms Waiguru take office.

In his Corner House office in Nairobi where Ondieki & Ondieki legal firm is based are stacked files in hundreds — his decades of toil. The office is undergoing renovations, perhaps now that the occupant will spend more time there.

Does he consider himself a dealmaker or a kingmaker, we ask. Neither, he says.

He hastens to add that, to his advantage, grassroot support is what wins political seats.

Leaning forward with an earnest face and a voice conveying conviction, Mr Ondieki, says money cannot buy one a political seat or keep people in power.

“Leadership is not about money. Leadership is about you being honest. There is a tendency for people to think that they can buy power. I think that is mistaken,” he says.

When challenged that nearly all political seats in Kenya are almost always won with a dash of Sh50 and Sh100 crisp notes handed at the end of campaign rallies, he remains adamant that money is only useful for logistics during campaigns and perhaps for harambees.

But he too has been accused of dishing out campaign cash like confetti to ensure former president Daniel Arap Moi’s re-election in 1992.

The story of how an organisation that Mr Ondieki led reportedly issued millions in cash captured in snippets and odd campaign stories of the era.

The then black and white pages of the Daily Nation capture the stories of “Operation Moi Wins (OMW)”, which Mr Ondieki headed and was seen as a little brother to the moneyed YK92.

A fresh-faced lawyer, Mr Ondieki had emerged from the politics of the University of Nairobi and plunged headlong into the fiery wars of multi-party national contests.

As the elections got nearer, the Opposition splintered and Mr Ondieki says that it was then that he chose to support Mr Moi to avoid the abyss the Opposition threatened to throw the country into.

He says the Opposition could not agree to back a single candidate between the late Jaramogi Odinga and Kenneth Matiba.

“So we said, the Opposition is disintegrating. Then it’s easier to have Moi continue than having a fragmented Opposition which will take us into chaos. Because of that fear and apprehension, we decided to support Moi in principle.”

While OMW never made it to the legendary heights of YK92, it was still not to be dismissed.

In a commentary published in the Daily Nation of January 10, 1993, long-time columnist Kwendo Opanga would crunch the numbers of the alleged spend.

It was said that OMW had vowed to spend Sh2 million every month in Embu to facilitate a good return of votes for Mr Moi, who eventually went on to win the election. Back then, Sh2 million was a whole lot of cash.

But Mr Ondieki dismisses it all as made up. According to him, all they received were funds to fuel vehicles for the campaign.

“All these stories you hear of too much money spent— those are lies. We were just given 4x4 vehicles and we went round campaigning.”

As the high-octane politics died, so did the OMW, which was essentially a campaign vehicle. It was renamed Operation Sustain Moi but it never regained the heights of 1992.

Meanwhile, Mr Ondieki took the time to rack up legal degrees, getting two Masters of Law degrees from the University of Nairobi and the University of Zimbabwe.

His political connections with the Moi family and a background in the legal profession perhaps defined Mr Ondieki in the fallow years before he re-emerged into the political limelight pre-2013 elections.

He is known for representing Mr Moi’s son Philip in the very public marital break up with estranged wife Rosanna Pluda. He also represents the senior Moi in several cases.

Mr Ondieki was born and brought up in rural Kisii, before he was admitted to the University of Nairobi in 1985.

It was from here that the father of three would start his legal career and dalliance with politics.

He claims that prior to the 2013 polls, he had formed a political trio with Mr Waititu and Nairobi senator Mike Sonko.

Mr Waititu was to be the governor, Mr Sonko the senator and himself the deputy governor. But Mr Waititu, who eventually lost the contest, decided to replace him prompting Mr Ondieki to jump camp.

In the two years since he was appointed to Dr Kidero’s cabinet, he has survived several reshuffles and an impeachment bid.

Court papers he has filed indicate that the bust up between with Dr Kidero occurred after a county executive meeting in which the governor was discussing his re-election plan.

Dr Kidero is said to have shouted at Mr Ondieki for associating with potential foe candidates, Dennis Waweru and Ms Waiguru.
When Mr Ondieki reportedly said he had freedom of politics and association, the governor is said to have retorted, “Nonsense, that will be another conversation.”

Also tucked in the suit papers is one line which says that Mr Ondieki has a Sh2 million loan with Dr Kidero as the guarantor.

The governor is yet to respond to the suit but it will make for an awkward reunion should the court decide to reinstate Mr Ondieki to his position.

[email protected]