Tetu constituency in Nyeri County is the only constituency in Kenya where no sitting MP has survived a re-election test.
The constituency which was hived off from present-day Nyeri Town and stretches from the slopes of the Aberdares in the north all the way to the confluence of the rivers Gura and Sagana in the south.
It is divided into three zones – Muhoya, Thigingi (Tetu North) and Aguthi (Tetu South)
The electorate in Tetu have a record of changing their parliamentary representatives every election cycle. This is prompted by the vote-rich regions of Tetu South and Tetu North.
The constituents normally vote out their MP, if the man or woman does not meet their expectations. However, it has also been a battle of supremacy between the north and the Southern regions.
Nahashon Kanyi Waithaka of the Kenya African National Union (KANU) Party was the first MP of Tetu Constituency in 1988. He only served one term before ending up as the late President Daniel Moi powerful Minister.
He was succeeded by Joseph Gethenji from the Democratic Party in 1992 elections. Paul Gikonyo Muya ran under the same party during the 1997 elections and unseated the incumbent.
He was however edged out by renowned environmental activist, the late Prof Wangari Maathai in the 2002 elections. Wangari took over as the Member of Parliament for Tetu Constituency in 2002 under the NARC coalition. In 2004, Prof Maathai made history as the first African woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace.
While this was a big feat for her, it was still not enough to get her re-elected in the 2007 polls, she lost the seat to businessman Francis Nyammo of the Party of National Unity (PNU). Mr Nyammo went on to serve for the next five years before losing the seat in 2013 to The National Alliance’s (TNA) Ndung'u Gethenji in 2013.
During the 2013 elections, he was trounced by newcomer Ndungu Gethenji who clinched The National Alliance (TNA) party ticket during the nominations. Ndung'u Gethenji is the son of the constituency’s second MP, Mr Gethenji.
In the National Assembly, Mr Gethenji served as chairperson of the Defense and Foreign Relations Committee, and was a member of the Liaison Committee, among others.
He tried to break the jinx in 2017 but was beaten by Jubilee’s Wakili James Gichuhi.
Gethenji decided to run as an independent candidate but could not survive the strong wave of Jubilee under Wakili James Gichuhi. This lack of stable leadership has been cited as the reason the constituency lags behind neighboring Nyeri Town, Mukurwe-ini, Othaya and Karatina Town.
The question now is whether Gichuhi Mwangi, will break the jinx and get re-elected?
Two months ago, he decamped from Jubilee to Deputy President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Although that did not sit well with aspirants who had been with UDA since its formation, including Martin Luther King Githigaro, who moved to The Service Party (TSP).
Tetu has so far attracted more than six candidates, who have lined up to gain from the curse on the MP’s seat and dislodge the incumbent. These include former MP Gethenji and former minister Nahashon Kanyi’s widow, Ann Kanyi.
According to the 2017 election data from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Tetu has 51,716 registered voters and 108 polling stations. It remains to be seen if the jinx will be broken in the forthcoming general election.
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