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| Lenny Kivuti's running mate, former MP Emilio Kathuri speaks defiantly as usual |
Anyone who has traveled our Kenya roads by public means understands very well the antics of the so called public transport facilititors (touts) commonly known by the street name of 'Makanga'. These are the guys you'll find at every busy bus stop, shouting at the top of their voices, calling on commuters to come so that they may travel together on the specific vehicle that is picking customers at that particular moment. The funny thing is that the tout never boards the vehicle. Commuters will get on board and travel while the 'Makanga' remains behind to call out to more commuters on behalf of another vehicle.
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| Touts on a NENO Sacco PSV calling out to commuters; they pose as passengers then remain behind once the vehicle is full |
Now, one Emilio Kathuri, running mate to Embu gubernatorial aspirant Lenny Kivuti is alleged to be applying similar techniques in the political arena. The former MP for Manyatta Constituency was once chief of all touts from Nairobi to Embu - he even founded Nairobi-Embu Nissan Operators (NENO) Sacco. It is rumored that the 'chief tout' has not forgotten how to 'carry people' and that even now that's the kind of game he is playing on the out going Senator.
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| A tout caught in error; they are known to habitually bribe their way out of trouble |
Those who know him well claim to have heard him confess that he is not with Lenny for anything but personal financial gain. Sources close to him reveal that Hon. Kathuri has jokingly said that as much as he knows that Lenny can't beat Wambora, he will stick with him as long as he is paying. He has also been accused of 'eating' from KK's camp, with promises of destroying his known benefactor's votes for the sake of his village mate. How so unfortunate for LK but so fortunate for the incumbent governor, Martin Wambora.
