Jacinta Mwatela posing with her certificate after she was cleared by the IEBC to run for Taita Taveta governor. [Photo/ courtesy]
Former Central Bank of Kenya Deputy Governor Jacinta Mwatela made her political debut with a bang when she nearly became the first Taita Taveta Governor in 2013, losing to John Mruttu by a razor-thin margin of 2,000 votes.
If her performance in the 2013 elections is anything to go by, then the no-nonsense politician will give her opponents a run for their money in 2017.Mwatela is a brand, thanks to her intolerance to corruption and her glittering career in the civil service. And riding on her husband's name, the former Mwatate MP Calist Mwatela, she is a candidate to watch in this year's election.Born in a political family, her brother Mashengu Mwachofi once served as Wundanyi MP and the political connections may boost her bid for the top county job.Mwatela, who quit her position at Central Bank in 2008 to make a plunge into politics, will have to battle it out with ODM's candidate and Wundanyi MP Thomas Mwadeghu who himself is a political heavyweight in the county whose leadership has long been a contest between the majority Taita and the minority Taveta communities.She will also face off with Dan Mwazo of Jubilee Party, Granton Samboja (Wiper), Constantine Mwadime (Maendeleo Chap Chap), Erastus Katani (Independent), Jared Nzano (Independent), former PS Emmanuel Kisombe (Independent) and the incumbent Governor John Mruttu (Independent).