Elders threaten to ditch governor and senator

A council of elders has accused Governor Peter Munya and Senator Kiraitu Murungi of dividing the Meru community.

In a move that is likely to have political implications in the vote-rich region, the revered Njuri Ncheke also threatened to withdraw support from the two leaders.

Mr Kiraitu has declared that he will challenge Munya for the county top seat in 2017 polls in what is expected to be a bruising battle.

The two have been engaging in supremacy battles as they seek the support of area leaders, members of the county assemblies and voters. It is the intensity of this political rivalry that has caught the attention of the Njuri Ncheke.

The council’s Chairman Paul M’Ithinkia and Secretary General Phares Ruteere said, as elders, they will fight to ensure the unity of the county’s sub-tribes, remains intact and free from the influence of the two politicians.

“As elders we have the mandate to ensure the entire Meru community is united. The Igembe, Imenti and Tigania people have always been one. It is only now we are hearing ethnic undertones at campaign meetings and we are disappointed,” said Mr M’Ithinkia.

Alternative Leaders

Mr Ruteere was more direct that the leadership of Kiraitu and Munya has disappointed the elders and that the Ameru community should elect alternative leaders.

“The lack of unity between leaders and residents is the making of Kiraitu and Munya, as both are fighting to control the resources and influence in Meru. Each one of them has an agenda of getting more political power and that is the reason they are now trading accusations and insults at meetings,” said Ruteere, who is also the Chairman of the National Council of Elders.

“Both Kiraitu and Munya are not fit to lead Meru any more. It is time the community elected a new crop of leaders to steer us forward,” he said.

But observers would be keen to see whether the two political supremos will go slow on their campaigns which have already hit fever pitch. As the elders were speaking, Kiraitu unveiled his running mate in the gubernatorial race, and declared that he will not look back in his quest to lead the Meru people.

Speaking at Kaliati Primary School Tigania, during a fundraiser, Kiraitu named Stantech Motors boss Titus Ntuchiu as his running mate. Pointedly, the wealthy Ntuchiu, hails from Munya’s Tigania sub tribe.

Munya was not immediately available for comment as he is away on an official trip abroad. Local political analyst Edwin Marete said the choice of Ntuchiu, the force behind Stantech Motor’s rise, is a master stroke by Kiraitu.

“Ntuchiu, a University of Nairobi University graduate, is not only good at business but also possesses the ability to mobilise residents towards a cause. Kiraitu is projecting his run for governor as driven by a passion to rescue residents from Munya’s leadership,” said Marete.

The choice of Ntuchiu is also meant to assuage Munya’s Tigania people, where a section of leaders led by Tigania West MP David Kariithi had asked Kiraitu not to challenge Munya because of an unwritten 2012 pact.

Enough Is Enough

A memorandum of understanding among all area political leaders stated that the senator’s position would go to the Imenti sub-tribe, for a period of ten years, the governor’s position to Tigania for a similar period, and the woman representative’s position to the Igembe sub-tribe.

But Ntuchiu dismissed existence of such an MoU. “It (governor’s seat) is not for Tigania. As leaders we need to ask where our money is going. We said enough is enough and it is the high time we got together, and supported Kiraitu to take the governor’s seat,’ said Ntuchiu.

But Meru County Assembly Majority Leader Ayub Bundi, who hails from Kiraitu’s Imenti sub-tribe, said: “Kiraitu is being selfish, by claiming he is running for governor to rescue Meru (from Munya’s bad leadership). If that were the case, he should have supported Ntuchiu to become the governor, as he (Kiraitu) defends his Senate seat,” said Mr Bundi.

The Abothoguchi Central MCA said by running for governor, Kiraitu will divide Imenti and Nyambene region where Munya has got a cult following.

“The Nyambene have the governor’s seat now. Why does Kiraitu think that they will accept the lesser deputy governor’s position? That is what he would have done, to avoid a conflict between the Imenti and the Nyambene,” Bundi said.

Bundi said the Nyambene people are currently suffering because of the ban on miraa, in European markets.

Speaking at the same venue, Mike Makarena, a wealthy businessman from Nyambene, said he will mobilise Meru residents to support Raila Odinga because the Jubilee government had failed miraa farmers.