Why Peter Kenneth's return is causing jitters in Mt Kenya
Former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth.
Nation Media Group
What you need to know:
- He has recently been firing salvos at President Ruto’s administration.
- The former Gatanga MP was listed among the Azimio deputy president hopefuls in 2022 before the naming of Martha Karua.
- Time will tell if the former Gatanga MP is simply making a strategic one-off appearance or he plans to sustain the onslaught at a time of debate on Azimio succession and leadership in Mt Kenya region.
For a man often fabled for vanishing immediately after every General Election and re-emerging just in time for the next vote, statements by Peter Kenneth in the last few weeks have left many scratching their heads over his game plan, barely two years into President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration.
The former Gatanga MP, who was listed among the Azimio deputy president hopefuls in 2022 before the naming of Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua, was a key player in Raila Odinga’s unsuccessful presidential bid, but had taken a low profile until recently.
Mr Kenneth, himself a losing presidential candidate in 2013 with his Tunawesmake (we can make it) slogan, has recently stirred the restless Mt Kenya politics after abruptly coming out with salvos against Dr Ruto’s administration.
But is he simply making strategic one-off appearances or does he plan to sustain the onslaught at a time of debate on succession in the Azimio coalition and leadership in Mt Kenya?
Recently at the funeral of Kamau Chege —a popular businessman in Kirwara town of Gatanga constituency—Mr Kenneth, popularly referred to as PK, called for the sacking and prosecution of officials linked to the fake fertiliser scandal. He also told off the Ruto administration over handling of the doctors’ strike.
In a region where factional political undercurrents are ongoing ahead of 2027 General Election, Mr Kenneth’s unusually early political commentary about sensitive topics of fake fertilizer and healthcare has caught many by surprise.
“It is unlike Mr Kenneth, whom we know for retreating to his private life once he loses an election only to come out a few weeks to the next election. His coming out this early has caught us by surprise since he is one man you cannot ignore when he comes out to speak,” said Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu, who was elected on a UDA ticket.
Mr Nyutu said Mr Kenneth remains a serious son of the Mountain “whose political voice carries weight despite his unfortunate calculations in the past two decades.”
Mr Nyutu added: “I am optimistic that Mr Kenneth can unite with other rising stars in Mt Kenya region, led by Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro and partner for the journey ahead and beyond 2027.”
Mr Kenneth’s onslaught came a day after Kirinyaga Jubilee Party Chairman Muriithi Kang’ara had warned that retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s allies will start coming out strongly to provide an alternative formation for 2027 in Mt Kenya region.
Mr Kang’ara had told the Nation: “We are not short of options since even Kenneth is a potential option that we can refurbish and present in the market”.
Mr Kenneth was one of the vocal pillars of Mr Kenyatta’s 2022 project of campaigning for Mr Odinga to become the fifth president; with an eye on the Mt Kenya vote.
Former presidential aspirant Peter Kenneth.
Prior to the 2022 General Election, Mr Kenneth had been touted as a possible heir to State House by support of Mr Kenyatta, before he degenerated into a potential running mate- that too eventually slipped out of his fingers to Ms Karua.
At the burial, Mr Kenneth said he was speaking his mind as a concerned leader since pressing issues were not being given the seriousness that they deserved.
“Let us not politicise matters of grave concern to the welfare of the people. This is a fake fertiliser scandal and those presiding over the unfortunate episode should step aside,” Mr Kenneth said.
He said the investigative agencies owe the farmers and the country at large an explanation as to why those culpable on the fertiliser scandal are still free.
“The problem with this country is that crooks rarely get jailed. Anyone who was behind the fake fertiliser is supposed to be in court latest yesterday,” he said.
He added that the government and health workers should cease hardline positions and accept to dialogue constructively.
“The government should come up with a supplementary budget that will reschedule resources available, so as to raise the cash the striking medics are demanding, so that the faultless patients can stop dying unattended in hospitals,” Kenneth said.
He said “the happenings as they are in the healthcare are dire where patients are dying at home because there is nowhere to run to”.
After unsuccessfully contesting the presidency in 2013, Mr Kenneth went underground and emerged to contest the Nairobi gubernatorial post in 2017 which he lost to Mike Sonko.
He retreated to his private life and emerged as an ally of President Kenyatta in Azimio la Umoja, pushing for an Odinga presidency.
Asked whether he harboured political ambitions for the 2027 General Election, Mr Kenneth said: “First things first, we have three more years to seek services we deserve, before we can later make our ambitions play out”.
However, he cryptically added that “like I have always said, tributaries are the ones that drain into the big river, Mt Kenya being that river, there is a need to always bear that in mind”.
This could be interpreted to mean Mt Kenya, being a significant voting bloc, should be making independent political decisions and attracting other formations and regions to join in.
“This is the time to get the benefits that our people aspire and get the reprieves they yearn for before we can start subjecting them to electioneering mode,” he said. .
Mr Kenneth’s loyalist Mr Nduati Ngugi—a former Gatanga MP—said: “We are certainly up to something that will get defined soon, since too much is currently happening behind the scenes in the Mountain”.
He said that “there were efforts by top UDA politicians to reach out to the Kenneth camp to agree on certain issues “even when technically we belong to the Kenyatta wing of politics”.
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Mr Ngugi said: “The unity that we are being told to forge does not necessarily mean we abandon our 2022 stand where we felt Mr Kenyatta was right to herd us into Azimio.”
“Our position is that we can unite as a people from Mt Kenya through collective desire for political, economic and social empowerment for our people and still pursue differing political formations .”
He added that the Kenyatta wing has Mr Kenneth, Ms Karua and former Meru Governor Peter Munya as the leading lights to provide an alternative power-contest formation for 2027.
In recent weeks, there have been social media activities linking Mr Kenneth to Kenyatta's family and political inner circle — and hinting at his possible endorsement as Mt Kenya region kingpin. His emergence after this apparently coordinated social media campaign has raised eyebrows.
Kikuyu Council of Elders chairman Wachira Kiago--who insists that Mr Kenyatta is the reigning kingpin since no dethroning ceremony has happened—said: “We are aware of Mr Kenneth’s prime position in Mt Kenya politics and we consult with him once in a while.”
This is despite Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s allies insisting that Kenyatta's retirement was automatic dethronement. They maintain that by virtue of Mr Gachagua being the senior most Mt Kenya politician as of now, he is the kingpin.
Mr Kiago insists that there are rituals and instruments of kingship yet to be performed in favour of Mr Gachagua adding that kingship is more cultural than political.
He said: “Mr Kenneth is among few remaining politicians of principle and discipline who can be relied upon to act as our alternative voice in a democracy that has no functional regional or national opposition.”
Mr Kiago said unity does not mean that we all belong in one basket... we can continue to differ on governance issues and still be united for that common cause of seeking betterment of our collective interests.”
He added that besides Mr Gachagua who represents the face of government in Mt Kenya, there are other actors who cannot be ignored “Mr Kenyatta, Mr Kenneth, Ms Karua, Mr Munya among them as well as any other who can emerge and declare interest.”
Currently, Mt Kenya is under the control of UDA but with serious contestations by some players on the folly of not having its own political bus to take its people to the negotiation table.
Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga has been questioning how leaders like Musalia Mudavadi (ANC), Moses Wetang’ula (Ford Kenya), Alfred Mutua (Maendeleo Chap Chap) and Amason Kingi (Pamoja African Alliance) managed to get their prime positions in a government that perceivably was made in Mt Kenya, despite bringing to the table “minimal shares.”
As President Ruto moves to demand that all Kenya Kwanza affiliate parties dissolve and form a big party, most Mt Kenya politicians have been jittery about compromised party primaries for the 2027 General Election, with suggestions that those uncomfortable come up with an alternative contest platform.
“That is why Mt Kenya remains a prime vote and alliance hunting base for all formations in the political market and reason why politicians with experience, charisma and war chest like Mr Kenyatta and Mr Kenneth, have refused to become irrelevant in the region,” said former MCAs aucus chairman Charles Mwangi.
Mr Mwangi said: “ It is in that light that you should watch out for Mr Kenneth’s early venture into the political scene and speaking the language that challenges the government; an indicator he could be seeking to be that alternative voice and promise”.
