Charity Ngilu Resurfaces After Missing In Action, Pays Visit To Musalia Mudavadi

• Narc party leader Charity Ngilu, who had resorted to a low-key public profile, called on Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi at his Nairobi offices on Thursday
• The former Kitui county chief executive, who was religiously in Azimio La Umoja, engaged Mudavadi in a meeting
• Last year, Ngilu gave up her governorship re-election bid to focus on Raila Odinga's national campaigns, presumably eyeing a Cabinet minister post in the would-be Raila government

Nairobi - Former Kitui governor Charity Ngilu has reappeared in the public eye after a prolonged absence.

Ngilu called on Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi at his offices in Nairobi on Thursday, August 24.

Ngilu's meeting with Mudavadi

On condition of anonymity, a source privy to Ngilu's visit confided in Tuko.co.ke that the Narc party leader was holed up in a closed-door meeting with Mudavadi for some while.

The details of the duo's meeting would, however, not be publicised.

"It was a closed-door meeting and when we were seeing her (out), there were signs she could warming up for a cross-over, but this is not confirmed. Basically she was just making overtures," said the source.

Mudavadi, while sharing his photo with Ngilu, reminisced about their long-time camaraderie, having both served in the previous editions of parliament until 2013 and also holding ministerial positions in the late Daniel Moi and Mwai Kibaki's regimes.

"It was great catching up with my long-time friend Charity Kaluki Ngilu at my office this afternoon."

Ngilu no-show in Azimio activities

In last year's polls, Ngilu, who was religiously in the Azimio La Umoja coalition, gave up her governorship re-election bid to focus on Raila Odinga's national campaigns.

She was presumably eyeing a Cabinet minister post in the would-be Raila government.

Immediately after the polls, the ex-governor disappeared from the public eye despite being vocal.

She would then be a permanent no-show even as Azimio actively embarked on the Opposition roles.

Ngilu's presumed overtures to Mudavadi, and by extension the Kenya Kwanza alliance, coincidentally came a day after the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officers caught up with former Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya, who is also a high-ranking member of the Raila-led faction.

EACC on Oparanya's neck

Oparanya's Nairobi and Kakamega homes were raided on Wednesday, August 23.

A statement from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party, to which the ex-county chief executive belongs, indicated that he and his wives were being held at Integrity Centre, Nairobi.

The EACC went for them over Oparanya's alleged maladministration and embezzlement of public monies during his tenure as Kakamega governor.

In its official communique, the EACC said the former governor was being investigated over the alleged dissipation of KSh 1.3 billion.

According to the anti-graft agency, preliminary investigations showed that public funds were unlawfully acquired through proxies.

"As part of an ongoing investigation into alleged embezzlement of public funds amounting to over KSh. 1.3 billion from Kakamega County Government during the reign of former governor Wycliffe Oparanya and where it was found that public funds were unlawfully acquired through proxies and associates," the EACC said.