Kitui governor: what does it take for one to become Kitui governor?

Well, it takes a lot for one to become Kitui governor. You have to understand that with a total surface area of more than 30,000 square kilometers and a population of almost 2 million people, Kitui county is bigger than some nations. Therefore becoming Kitui governor is a big deal. To be sure, in the early days – like in the first term when Julius Malombe won the Kitui governorship – people hadn’t yet realized just how huge the Kitui governor’s post is. With time though, people have come to learn that being Kitui governor means being in charge of huge resources, which has translated into stiff competition for the Kitui governor’s position.

So what does it take for one to become Kitui governor?

Firstly, to become Kitui governor, one needs to have excellent political mobilization skills. To become Kitui governor, you need to convince at least several hundred thousand people (spread over more than 30,000 square kilometers) to vote for you, and that is a tall order for someone without excellent political organization skills.

Secondly, to become Kitui governor, one needs to have adequate resources to campaign. To win the Kitui governorship, you need to have a well oiled political machinery, and that costs money.

Thirdly, to become Kitui governor, one increasingly needs to have a recognizable name. It is increasingly becoming hard to ‘come out of nowhere’ and just win the Kitui governorship. In the last election, the people competing for Kitui governorship – the likes of Charity Kaluki Ngilu, Julius Malombe and David Musila were long established political brands. So that is the caliber you need to have, to be an effective competitor for Kitui governor’s seat.

Fourth, to become Kitui governor, it looks as if one increasingly needs to have top-notch connections. Without the right connections, your campaign for Kitui governorship is likely to flounder – because there are all manner of big shots competing for the Kitui governor position and most of them are willing to go to any lengths to clinch it. You could easily find yourself complaining about 'uneven playing grounds' and other such things if you are not careful.