MPs speak on William Ruto's quest for 2022 presidency

They have been branded as rebels and outcasts. But some Mt Kenya legislators have come out for the first time to narrate why they have not joined the William Ruto camp for 2022 bandwagon and the price they have paid for it.

Most MPs from Mt Kenya have professed their support for the deputy president's ambitions except Kangema MP Muturi Kigano and his Nyeri Town counterpart Ngunjiri Wambugu.

The two have kept away from Mr Ruto’s functions across the region with Mr Ngunjiri going as far as forming a movement complete with a secretariat to buttress his point. He is the self-styled leader of the Kieleweke movement.

On Monday, they caused a ruckus when a supporter of the movement got arrested over the weekend and detained at Mukurwe-ini police station for wearing a T-shirt carrying a message presumed to be against Mr Ruto.

DEVELOPMENT
Two journalists, Irene Mugo of Daily Nation and Lydia Nyawira of the Standard, were also detained and later released after concluding an interview with the relatives of Mr Albert Nderitu.

Mr Ruto's press secretary David Mugonyi distanced security officers attached to the Deputy President from the arrests.

Mr Ngunjiri and Mr Kagano, both first time MPs, oppose the Deputy President’s style of politics because the campaigns conflict with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s development agenda and national unity.

Mr Kigano said the MPs accompanying the Deputy President and promising him support from central Kenya will fracture the President’s plan on the country’s economic development.

According to him, they have defied the President by speaking about his succession, while the President is talking about the Big Four agenda.

CAMPAIGNS
During Kenneth Matiba’s funeral service, Mr Kigano recalled, the President beseeched the MPs to stop engaging in early campaigns.

He also claimed the Ruto-camp MPs from Mt Kenya are spreading propaganda by pronouncing and declaring that the region will vote for him.

“Everybody in our area is enlightened and knows how to choose. I am not saying Ruto should not be elected. I am not opposing Ruto’s ambitions but the early campaign,” Mr Kigano said.

The Deputy President’s activities will also divide the country into camps and fracture the building bridges initiative established following a political truce between President Kenyatta and Opposition leader Raila Odinga, the two MPs said.

DIVISIONS

Political analyst Phillip Njau observes that Mr Ruto's numerous political meetings will make President Kenyatta to be forgotten and become a lame-duck Head of State.

“If the activities continue, people will forget there is a sitting President and focus will be on the Deputy President. He will be viewed as the head of government because he is always seen and heard on the ground,” Mr Njau noted.

Mr Wambugu explained that his opposition to Mr Ruto is because the early campaigns will create divisions within the national and local political leadership and among Kenyans.

“These divisions are counter to the unity of purpose that’s necessary at every level to enable for genuine progress.

“Politics is divisive by its very nature, because it’s about different sides competing to get the most number of people behind them,” he argued.

DYNAMICS

He questioned the sustainability of the political support declared by his colleagues from central Kenya to the Deputy President.

“The 2022 politics divides Kenyans at a time they don’t need to be divided for a reason that’s not relevant. Even if you have the majority supporting you now, what do you do with that support as there’s no vote being taken?” he posed.

Correspondingly, Mr Njau said the central Kenya MPs’ caucus supporting the Deputy President is unlikely to sustain its allegiance due to political dynamics.

According to Mr Njau, it is not yet time to make presidential re-alignments and pledge commitments.

“Some MPs will soon become confused and they will jump ship to the ideology of standing against the early campaigns. There will come a time when the Deputy President will campaign for his 2022 bid using their rivals. Again, more presidential aspirants will crop up,” Mr Njau said.

SYCOPHANTS

Further, the two MPs lamented that they got categorised for failing to attend Mr Ruto’s events.

“The TangaTanga people (MPs allied to Mr Ruto) have created a notion that anybody accompanying the Deputy President supports his ambition and those who do not attend his functions are opposed to his bid,” Mr Ngunjiri said.

Mr Kigano accused the squad of sycophancy to please Mr Ruto.

“The Deputy President is my friend but I cannot just follow him blindly. But again, a good thing does not need to be advertised or promoted, otherwise there could be something you are hiding by forcing people to buy your commodity,” Mr Kigano noted.

He admitted that he has already been excluded on matters concerning the Deputy President in his county.