Kabete MP Ferdinand Waititu with Governor Kabogo at a past event. [Photo/nairobiwire.com]
Jubilee party nominee for Kiambu governor, Ferdinand Waititu, was an unlikely candidate with an insurmountable task.
He rose from a councillor to a member of parliament and now most likely the governor of Kiambu.
Waititu delivered a shocking and decisive defeat to incumbent William Kabogo during the party primaries. His journey, however, has not been smooth.
As member of parliament for Embakassi, Waititu found himself on the wrong side of the law when he joined protesters several times and threw stones at police. He has been to the police cell quite a few times.
The current Kabete MP, has been described as an opportunist as he seems to replace legislators who have passed on. He got his current position after the death of George Muchai.
His attempt at the Nairobi governorship failed when Evans Kidero eclipsed him in the 2013 elections.
His move from Nairobi to Kiambu was met with serious opposition. Governor Kabogo took it upon himself to block Waititu from clinching the seat, as he saw it as an attempt to reduce his (Kabogo's) popularity.
In what was seen as a revenge move, Waititu then decided to level opposition against Kabogo, which led to a lengthy time of barbs, insults, character assassination and pure rivalry.
The time saw him head to court a few times to defend his academic papers.
In a cool, calm and collected manner, Waititu weathered his storms with humour and light heartedness. All the while he was marshalling up opposition against Kabogo.
At the just concluded Jubilee nominations, Waititu led an unexpected ouster of Kabogo and majority of all legislators aligned to him. He put an end to one of the most influential governors of the Uhuru Ruto government.
It remains to be seen what lies next for Waititu.