Former Machakos Deputy Governor Benard Kiala has kept a low political life after unsuccessfully contesting for the governor seat in last year’s general election.
Kiala contested for the governor seat as an independent candidate after falling out with governor Mutua and Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka.
Mutua had dropped him as his deputy in favor of Francis Maliti. The governor accused Kiala of allegedly working with his political enemies to bring him down. The two often engaged in leadership tussles that sometimes threatened the county’s development agenda.
Kiala also fell out with Kalonzo accusing him of favoring former Kathiani MP Wavinya Ndeti to fly the party’s Machakos gubernatorial ticket in 2017 polls. He was defeated by Wavinya Ndeti in party nominations but claimed that the process was not free and fair.
The former deputy governor has since remained silent a move that is worrying his supporters. According to political analyst Peter Ngure, Kiala is likely to make a comeback by bidding for the Machakos top seat in the 2022 polls.
“We are likely to see him back in 2022 and people should expect more fireworks between him and Wavinya Ndeti,” he said during an interview on Wednesday.
Kiala joins the list of former Ukambani vocal politician's battling for political survival.