Maathai will face among others a vernacular station journalist in her attempt to bounce back to parliament in the 2007 General elections.

Maathai, whose greatest undoing is her international duties occasioned by her Nobel win three years ago, will also have to explain to voter’s why she rejected an assistant minister’s position shortly after the government lost the constitutional referendum of 2005.'

Maathai was among a group of ministers who rejected positions in government insisting that the President opens negotiations with a group of rebel members of the cabinet who spearheaded the rejection of the Constitution - instead of talks the Kenyan President fired all of them, forcing the Nobel Lauraute to reject her appointment as Environment Assistant Minister.

The 38,719 registered voters in her constituency, some of whom i interviewed for this article accuse the environmentalist “for spending all her time making speeches about trees, instead of improving things at the ground.”

Maathai, who once opposed President Mwai Kibaki when she unsuccessfully vied for the Presidency on a Mazingira Party ticket in the 1997 General Elections, will face a field of 12 aspirants.

However, her decision to join the Party of National Unity (PNU) associated with the incumbent Head of State may boost her chances at re-election. Instructively though, President Mwai Kibaki in a recent tour of Mukwereini constituency endorsed Information Minister Mutahi Kagwe for re-election, but avoided the mention of Maathai.

Maathai will find herself at pains to explain why for over a year now, she has not appointed a chairman of the Constituency Develeopment Fund (CDF) – one of the voters, who showed us her voter’s card on our demand, for authentication purposes told this blogger that “ hajatumia CDF vizuri halafu hata Chairman hajatupatia mwaka mmoja sasa”(She has not put CDF into proper use and has yet to accomplish the simple task of appointing the Chair of the fund)

Separated by River Gura with Kibaki’s constituency of Othaya, Maathai will be especially at pains to explain why she rejected the position as Assistant Minister for Environment and Natural resources.

“When someone is given a position by the President, they should remember that it is not theirs, but that of their electorate, in this case the President was honouring the People of Tetu, but without consulting us she took her own decisions…” argued an area resident who declined to be named.

Poor infrastructure of roads-network especially Giakanja –Ihithe road which would have helped many tea and coffee farmers in the area to help selling of produce remains impassable in the constituency which touches all constituencies in Nyeri North and Nyeri south district; Mukurwe-ini, Othaya, Mathira, Kieni and Nyeri Town.

But analyst’s say that Maathai may use her immense wealth at hand she has acquired in the last five years to change political tactics and convince voters to re-elect her just before elections as she did in the last general elections.

The constituency has six locations Gaaki, Aguthi, Karundu, Thegenge, Muhoyas and Tetu with tea, coffee (cash crops) and diary farming being the most agriculture sector practiced in the area.

Resettlement of thousands of squatters living on the roadside after eviction from Zaina and Kiandongoro forest by the former Kanu regime is another issues she will have to answer especially because it formed part of her pre-election pledges.

Nairobi businessman Daniel Kimanyo Munene a parliamentary aspirant who hails from Karigu-ini has been one of the most visible political rivals of Maathai, Munene lost to Maathai during the 2002 parliamentary nominations.

A Nyeri prominent lawyer Wahome Gikonyo, 40 from Kiandu area is another contender who has been using part of time being on the ground since he declared his interest early this year.

So far, he has been able to help fund over 20 churches and about 40 women and youth groups. Some dispensaries like Zaina, secondary schools like Gichira and Kiawaithanji and Kigwathi coffee factory have received big financial boost since he declared his candidature.

The chancellor of African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (A.I.P.C.A) has been in the forefront of criticizing the use of the CDF kitty in the constituency saying there is no transparency. He says that there is no point of using Shs 800,000 for rehabilitating Wamagana Social Hall while some secondary schools in the constituency have no windows and cemented floors.

The lawyer who is also targeting businessmen, followers of the A.I.P.C.A, and professionals to elect him has been helping farmers in boosting the agriculture sector.

Has also been advocating for the money earned at the neighbouring Aberdare National Park to be brought back to develop the area since the constituents were banned in practicing shamba system.

Gikonyo, a new comer, has been in the forefront of urging the Government to lift the ban of shamba system during his campaigns and the opening of Tetu –Kinangop road which passes inside Aberdare National park.

The chancellor has also been campaigning against election of visitors instead of locals terming the issue as ‘renting the constituency.’

Kimanyo, 49 who hails from Karigu-ini sub-location and who is also the chairman of Tetu Democratic Party (DP) branch has already declared that he will use the party ticket to vie for the parliamentary seat this December and is looking for its members to vote him in.

He has been a confidant of Kibaki and has helped many women groups and sponsored many tournaments of soccer games that involve youths.

The managing director of Jovet (K) Ltd has also been able to donate computers in secondary and primary schools which has helped them in computer subjects.

He has also started bringing in machines to start making small products. This will create employment for hundreds of youths.

Kimanyo who is also the patron of Karigu-ini secondary school played a key role during the referendum ‘Yes campaigns’ when Maathai sat on the fence and helped to deliver many votes unto the Government side.

Another one in the race is wealthy businessman F.T. Nyammo who also lost to Maathai during the last general elections in the nominations and is said to be busy on the ground for the last three years and has been in the forefront fighting for positions in the Narc-Kenya party.

Nyammo who is the chairman of Kenya School of Professional Studies, the governor of the Kenya Private Alliance and a top committee official of Vision 2030 is among those who will be looking to be elected this time though his critics have accused him as being a foreigner since his family roots can be traced in Kirinyaga district.

He has however been supportive of women, youth groups and has been paying school fees for tens of children from the poor families and helped to finance the Titie Water Project which many constituents depend on.

The director of Nairobi Stock Exchange Ndung’u Gathenji, Njaramba Wanjii and Crispus Kinyua Ruitha who is a director of Kenya Tea Development Agency (K.T.D.A.)-Gathuthi Tea Factory are among others in the race.

Gathenji from Muhoyas location was one of those who played a key role in formation of the five- year -Tetu strategic Plan Action which Maathai formed two years ago.

Former powerful Internal Security minister Nahason Kanyi Waithaka, architect Ephantus King’ori Mukundi also a director of K.T.D.A, businessman John Gitonga Kihoro and former local Kanu chairman Wilson Kamau Ndirangu are also in the race.

Ndirangu has since announced that will use KENDA party as a ticket to parliament. Kihoro, 37 is looking unto the youths to elect him and women since he had been involved in a formation of single mothers association.

Moses Kanyira who is a journalist with Kameme Fm is being backed by youths to go to parliament.

Kanyira a sports journalist and anchor at the Regional Regional FM Station is also enjoying support from a cross-section of the elite community in the area

The only female contender so far in the race is the former university- don Dr. Cecilia Wangechi Mwathi. She is the former lecturer of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.