Former Kwale gubernatorial candidate Chirau Ali Mwakwere at a past event.[Photo/the-star.co.ke]
The High Court ruling on Thursday that dismissed a petition filed by Mwamlole Tchappu Mbwana, a voter challenging the re-election of Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya has dealt a major blow to former Kenya’s Ambassador to Tanzania Chirau Ali Mwakwere’s political career.Mwakwere announced his arrival into the national political scene with a convincing win during the 2002 elections and was immediately appointed to the Cabinet in the first NARC government.A key player in retired President Mwai Kibaki’s controversial victory in 2007, Mwakwere survived the ODM wave that swept across the Coast region to defend his Matuga seat.And as a reward, he was rewarded with the powerful Trade Ministry docket in the coalition government.However, his burning ambition to establish himself as Kwale County’s political supremo was cut short in 2013 when he lost to the late Boy Juma Boy in the senatorial race. To cushion him from the vagaries of disappearing into political oblivion, Mwakwere was appointed Kenya’s Ambassador to Tanzania by President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee government.Keen to make amends for his failure at the ballot in 2013, Mwakwere quit his position as an envoy to challenge Governor Mvurya. He briefly joined Raila Odinga’s ODM before switching allegiance to the Kalonzo Musyoka-led Wiper Party where he was given direct nomination.In what was seen by many political pundits as a four-horse race, the veteran diplomat faced Mvurya of Jubilee, Issa Chipera of ODM and Sammy Ruwa, an independent candidate.But as fate would have it, Mwakwere came third in the August 8 gubernatorial election with slightly over 25,000 votes, as Mvurya defied all odds to be overwhelmingly re-elected on a Jubilee ticket in the perceived opposition stronghold.To his disappointment, Mombasa High Court Judge Mugure Thande on Thursday ruled in favour of Mvurya, and ordered Mwakwere to cater for the cost of the petition amounting to Sh2.4 million.As it appears now, the curtains may finally be falling on the veteran politician’s checkered political career.