Deputy President William Ruto. [DPPS]

Deputy President William Ruto will on Sunday preside over fundraisers in Embu County in what is seen as a ploy to neutralise plans by Mt Kenya East to chart its own political destiny.

The visit will happen a week after Mt Kenya leaders backing President Uhuru Kenyatta held a meeting in Meru as part of efforts to heal rifts among politicians in the region.

Runyenjes MP Eric Muchangi (pictured) said the DP will visit his constituency and Mbeere South for fundraisers and then engage locals on a meet the people tour in a bid to popularise his presidential bid.

Ruto will visit Mbeere South and Runyenjes constituencies for a fundraiser and then go on a meet-the-people tour.

Muchangi and his Mbeere South counterpart Godfrey Kingangi who are his point men in the county, which is home to National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi, who also has presidential ambitions.

Although his staunch supporters have downplayed claims that his visit is only geared to calm the growing push for a strong united Mt Kenya East with Muturi as its presidential aspirant, pundits say that his visit has political undertones.

According to Mt Kenya Youth Caucus chair Linford Mutembei, it is not a coincidence that the DP is visiting the region barely a week after the Meru meeting. Leaders from both the Mt Kenya East and Mt Kenya West convened a meeting in Meru and declared that the mountain will unite ahead of next year’s general election.

“It’s also public knowledge that Muturi hails from Embu where Ruto will spend his Sunday,” Mutembei said.

Deputy President William Ruto. [DPPS]

Ruto’s visit comes barely a week after a section of Mt Kenya leaders led by governors James Nyoro (Kiambu) Ann Waiguru (Kirinyaga) and Nderitu Muriithi (Laikipia) and MPs Kanini Kega (Kieni) Maoka Maore (Igembe North) Wangari Mwaniki (Kigumo) and Nduati Ngugi (Gatanga) endorsed ODM leader Raila Odinga’s presidential bid.

His visit also comes at a time when Mt Kenya East, which comprises Embu, Meru and Tharaka Nithi counties has picked Muturi to run for the presidency, nd alienating themselves from the larger Mt Kenya West region.

Regional leaders are rooting for a formation of a new political party.  

But Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro said the event was planned way before the events. “Our meetings are never reactionary; they were planned even before these events. For us we don’t know the existence of formation of parties or Mt Kenya East Versus Mt Kenya West wars, we only know of Mt Kenya region solidly behind Hustler Nation,” the MP said.