Former Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama has suffered a major political setback in his backyard following the loss of UDA candidate Urbanus Ngele in the Senate by-election.
The loss brings into sharp focus his ability to deliver for Deputy President William Ruto in the general election next year.
In a clear indication that Muthama's popularity could be waning in Machakos county, his backed senatorial candidate lost by a huge margin to Kalonzo Musyoka's Wiper party.
Muthama is the chairman of Ruto's wheelbarrow party officially known as the United Democratic Alliance.
A victory in the by-election would have gone a long way in boosting his fortunes in a region that has for decades been under Kalonzo's firm grip.
Muthama will now be forced back to the drawing board in his bid to turn the tables on Kalonzo.
In a one-sided contest, Wiper's Agnes Kavindu garnered 104,080 votes against Ngele's 19,705 votes.
Kitui Senator Enock Wambua, a key ally of Kalonzo, termed Muthama a 'paper tiger' even as he insisted that Wiper is the party to beat in the region.
"Wiper's win by a landslide is an indication that the people of Ukambani region rejected political merchants who are masquerading as leaders but keen on auctioning the community," Wambua said.
The Senator said Wiper had all along known that it would be a walkover in Machakos.
"We saw this coming and we even warned our opponents that they did not have any fighting chance, Ukambani is under the leadership of Kalonzo Musyoka, who is our kingpin," he said.
By winning with a commanding margin, the result means Muthama has his work cut out in marketing UDA in Ukambani region ahead of the general election.
"It is going to be a tall order for any leader trying to oppose Kalonzo in Ukambani going forward. Muthama has no political capital to match Kalonzo," political analyst Dismas Mokua said.
Mokua said Wiper's victory has emboldened Kalonzo ahead of the possible referendum and the 2022 polls.
Muthama is deputy President William Ruto's key point man in Ukambani and was keen on using the by-election to test his grip of the region.
The former senator had vowed to deliver the seat to the UDA party as a confirmation that the region was shifting away from Wiper in favour of Ruto.
During the campaigns, Muthama attacked Kavindu, his estranged wife, saying she was a political greenhorn who would not match his political muscles.
He said Kavindu was the least that Wiper could have picked to fly its flag in the by-election.
“We need a candidate who equals senators Murkomen, Aaron Cheruiyot among other fearless leaders in the Senate and not a clueless person,” Muthama said as he led the UDA campaigns.
Kavindu avoided attacking her ex-husband throughout the campaigns.
In one of the campaign events, she said she would not respond to Muthama's attacks and would instead accord him the respect he deserves as the father of her children.
In the lead up to the campaigns, Muthama found himself on the defensive after some of Ruto's allies from Machakos accused him bidding for a preferred candidate.
The allegations triggered sharp cracks in the Tangatanga camp amid concerns that they isolated Muthama and failed to put up a joint campaign for the UDA candidate.
Muthama served as Machakos senator between 2013 and 2017. He was succeeded by Boniface Kabaka whose death last year occasioned the by-election.