Mwangi Kiunjuri’s relationship with Ruto

In a not too distant past DP William Ruto was the darling of Mt Kenya. It was widely expected that Mt Kenya would support his candidature and vote for him as a block. The love mostly came from his past deliberate effort to ensure that President Kenyatta was elected and then reelected.

There has not been any irrefutable survey to show if his support by the masses in Mt Kenya has taken a dip. What is clear though is that some leaders from Mt Kenya have started dissociating from him. His apparent fallout with President Uhuru Kenyatta has seen many politicians take sides. To the chagrin of the DP, former prime minister Raila Odinga has started making in roads to what was once his impenetrable stronghold.

Ruto has some loyal key men and women in Mt Kenya. The battalion is led by Mwangi Kiunjuri. The Service Party leader and ex Agriculture CS has been a loyal ally and he has hinted that it might be the reason he was sacked. It’s not clear if Mwangi Kiunjuri loves Ruto for what he can do to the country or what he can benefit for himself through the association. What is clear is that the ex CS is keen in working with the DP and if possible be rewarded for his efforts.

During an interview on Inooro TV, Mwangi Kiunjuri made a coded plea for DP Ruto to consider him for a running mate position. “There have been rumours that I will contest as DP Ruto’s running mate in the forthcoming election. I have never made such a pronouncement but if I happen to be blessed to become one, nothing and nobody can be against the will of God,” he said.

Apart from lobbying for a Deputy President post, it seems the CS harbors dreams of becoming Mt Kenya Kingpin once the president retires from politics. On the issue of having a kingpin for the region he said, “We are playing 2022 politics but the Kikuyu nation is silent. We should be planning and scouting for the person who will represent us at the top decision-making table. We (the kikuyu community) are known for being generous in offering our overwhelming support and votes to presidential candidates. We will not pay a bride price without being accompanied by our elders.”

It’s not clear whether Ruto will pick Mwangi Kiunjuri as running mate. Ruto while in Mombasa said he’s committed to see that the third gender rule is achieved in Kenya. He said one way to promote that would be choosing a woman as running mate for 2022 general elections.