Pressure piles on President Uhuru Kenyatta to reward Mt Kenya loyalists

Barely a week since President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto took office, their new headache is rewarding loyalists.

The promise of lucrative State jobs kept a number of losers on the campaign track and after assuming office, Uhuru finds himself with a long list of allies expecting favours.

Top among them are losers in the Jubilee Party’s nominations who, rather than opting to go independent, or bow out, they vigorously campaigned for Uhuru.

They include former legislators Jamleck Kamau (Kigumo), Njogu Barua, Peter Munya, Mpuri Aburi, Kembi Gitura, Florence Kajuju, Wanjiku Muhia, Joshua Irungu and Njogu Barua. Others in the queue are Alice Ng’ang’a, Mutahi Kagwe and Priscilla Nyokabi.

Uhuru’s appointments will be closely watched since, to contain dissent and fall out in Jubilee Party after the shambolic party nominations, he on many occasions said during the campaigns, his administration would accommodate everyone.

Payback time

Uhuru’s promise for jobs made a number of candidates such as former Nakuru Governor Kinuthia Mbugua back down in support for the Jubilee candidate. As promised, Uhuru has started rewarding some loyalists.

Already, former Runyenjes MP Cecily Mbarire who lost in the Embu Jubilee Gubernatorial nomination has been nominated back to the National Assembly where she is now the Majority Whip.

Mbugua is now working in State House, an apparent reward for his decision to step down and support Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui.

But the queue is still long.

Last week, former Meru governor Peter Munya dropped his petition challenging the election of Meru Govenor Kiraitu Murungi and looks set to bag a key appointment in the government. While campaigning in Laare on October 5, Uhuru said he would give Munya a job.

“After October 26, Peter Munya will join us in the national government as I had promised before,” Uhuru said. But it’s a delicate balancing act.

Intense lobbying is ongoing for the lucrative Cabinet posts and Munya’s inclusion could spell doom for his Meru homeboy Lands Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi.

Even as the grapevine has it that Munya is headed to the Cabinet, he was none committal on what position he had been promised.

Jubilee Party supporters in Meru and Tharaka Nithi counties have come out in groups to lobby for the reappointment of Kaimenyi.

Led by Mt Kenya Youth Caucus Chairman Linford Mutembei the leaders said CS Kaimenyi had proved his loyalty to Jubilee Party.

“While it is the prerogative of the President to appoint the Cabinet, the perfect scenario for the Ameru is to have a leader who represents unity of the larger Meru. If the President is considering giving Meru a top position we appeal to him to appoint someone who has always supported him,” said Mr Mutembei.

Ameru Association in Nairobi is also fighting for Kaimenyi as his chances dim by the day and odds sway in favour of Munya.

In Murang’a, the entry of Jamleck into the fray of those looking for Cabinet posts complicates the equation for Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia who also hails from the region.

Uhuru will have a tough balancing act even as residents from Meru push for a bigger representation in the executive.

Ruto could play his hand as he looks ahead to 2022 and Jamleck, being a politician will have the added advantage of selling the Jubilee agenda in Mt Kenya come that time.

A group of residents in Nyeri have also come out to call for one of their own to be appointed to the Cabinet. Discontent has been simmering in the County because it is the only one in Central Province without a Cabinet Secretary after former Roads CS Micheal Kamau was shown the door following corruption allegations.