President Kenyatta’s Allies Plan on Blocking Ruto’s Presidential Bid Ahead of 2022 Polls

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Written by
Faridah N Kulumba

Africa-PressKenya. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta’s allies had a meeting in Meru county to devise a plan on how to unify the vote-rich Mt Kenya region, in order to  block Deputy President William Ruto’s presidential bid ahead of the 2022 polls.

The Mt Kenya leaders said they would not give foreigners the chance to make inroad in the vote-rich region, and vowed to safeguard the region’s vote, Tuko reported.

The Kieleweke allies meeting was sparked by President Kenyatta’s ruling Jubilee Party suffering a humiliating defeat in the Kiambaa parliamentary by-election which, once again, brought to the fore dwindling popularity of the ruling party in Uhuru’s backyard.

Background

In 2018 President Kanyatta’s relationship with his deputy and his successor Ruto took a turn, when Jubilee entered a pact with opposition leader Raila Odinga of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

The Jubilee Party  was founded in 2016, with the aim to consolidate a 2013 alliance between Kenyatta and Ruto, but according to Ruto;s allies the party is now firmly in Kenyatta’s control, after he replaced its senior leaders in the country’s legislature.

The Kiambaa parliamentary by-election was arguably the first major direct face off between the ruling Party Jubilee  and Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) particularly in the president’s political backyard after the dual’s documented fallout.

Allies vows

In the meeting which took place last weekend, the determined Kenyatta allies vowed tooth and nail to ensure the mountain speaks in one voice during the upcoming general elections.

The issue of Deputy President Ruto’s visit to Uganda was not left out, and the concern was raised by the Secretary General of the Central Organisation of Trade Unions Francis Atwoli who said: “We will each go to the ground of their region and talk door to door so that we can bring back our people the right path,” He said.

Governor of Kirinyaga  H.E Anne Waiguru said. “How come foreigners are coming in our land to spark divisions in our region?”

Waiguru reiterated that the meeting was meant to reaffirm the commitment of Mt Kenya leaders to securing the people’s economic interest at the negotiating table.

“Doing this in full recognition that these interests are best secured by our very own, not strangers. As they say, no one laughs with someone’s else’s teeth,” Waiguru said.

Who will be in the next government?

The Mt Kenya leaders noted the vast region had a high number of voters and they would not accept being pushed to the periphery during the formation of the next government. “We must be in the next government. We cannot accept to be in the opposition,” Kenyatta allies said.

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