Troubles in Jubilee breath life into Mt Kenya political parties

Murang’a Senator Irungu Kang’ata with Deputy President William Ruto at a past function. (File, Standard)

Regional political parties have sprung back to life in the Mt Kenya stronghold of Jubilee, indicating an attempt to establish inevitable fall back strategies.

The naming of former Transport Principal Secretary Irungu Nyakera as the Democratic Party of Kenya (DP) deputy party leader and the entry of Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria into its fold, signal a determined push by some of the strongest allies of Deputy President William Ruto in the area to register new parties.

Former President Mwai Kibaki’s party, which was almost moribund, is the latest to be dusted in anticipation of a vibrant future.

There are also indications that the former Party of National Unity (PNU) is in deep consultations with the independence party Kanu.

The developments in PNU, well known as Kibaki’s former political party, is in direct contrast to those of the other parties which are seen as friendly to the DP.

The trigger of the developments in the political groupings in the region is said to have unsurprisingly been the unprecedented affront on Ruto by former Jubilee Party Vice Chairman David Murathe before he quit his post last month.

Mr Murathe is believed to have resigned in preparation for other roles in the political machinations prior the 2022 politics rather than for the reason he tendered that he would be in conflict with his position if he were to seek a constitutional interpretation on Ruto’s eligibility to vie for the presidency in 2022.

This week, he told Saturday Standard that he no longer had a political platform to comment on political developments.

“I am off air. Read my lips. Watch this space and follow the action. Actions speak louder than words,” he said.

The reactivation of the parties in Mt Kenya region is also largely about politicians preparing themselves strategically for President Uhuru Kenyatta succession in three years time, according to Murang’a Senator Irungu Kang’ata.

“There is no heir-apparent in the region and therefore some people are finding vantage points to take over the largest voting block in the country,” said Mr Kang’ata.

For the first time in three decades since the onset of multiparty politics, Senator Kang’ata says, the region finds itself without a clear leader after Uhuru.

Politicians and pundits argue that it is only the brave political leader that emerges now that will take the leadership mantle from Mr Kenyatta.

“In central region, no one is crowned a leader, one must emerge and fight to earn the position,” said Nyeri Town MP Wambugu Ngunjiri.

Political orphans

DP and PNU are said to be strategising to provide an umbrella to political orphans should the JP disintegration happen as is feared.

They both support the proposed constitutional amendments to widen the pyramid at the national level.

But DP chairman Essau Kioni has denied rumours that Kuria had joined its ranks after his invitation by the Young Democrats function ignited the social media.  To become a national official, he had to become a DP life member first.

“He cannot be our member because that would be against the law, but no one is prevented from being a friend of the party,” said Kioni.

But friends of the Gatundu MP insist that the vocal legislator has taken up the party in preparation for the Uhuru succession three years from now.

Kuria would neither confirm nor deny the fact that he has joined DP but said he is interested in economic empowerment of the region using all avenues.

“At the moment, I am in Jubilee Party. I don’t know about tomorrow, but my interest is to have a region empowered politically and economically to face the future,” Kuria said.

Other political parties now being activated are those of former presidential candidates Peter Kenneth (Kenya National Congress) and Martha Karua (Narc Kenya).

In Karua’s view, the activities in their parties are not unique to those in other regions. “I think people are reading too much in the Mt Kenya politics, we are not doing anything different,” she said.

But in the scheme of things, the Narc Kenya party leader admits that just like any succession period, the region is unusually active politically.

Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iria is also known to be the force behind the registration of the Civic Renewal Party whose interim chairman is his cousin Mwangi JM, who has been bragging of “excellent” political connections in 35 counties.

Wa Iria is a Ruto ally and one of the only two governors in Mt Kenya region (the other is Tharaka Nithi’s Muthomi Njuki) who are openly siding with the beleaguered DP in Jubilee. Other calculative and experienced politicians took a backseat, careful not to be flat footed by developments in the volatile JP taking cue from Murathe’s sudden eruption and exit.

Special purpose

Then there is the party being prepared for registration by Kathuri Murungi, a second term MP for South Imenti who was in 2017 re-elected on an independent ticket.

The MP’s sympathies are known to lie with Ruto in 2022, although he has a history of advocating widening of the political space through more rather than less parties.

It is not lost to observers that as an independent MP, Kathuri is insulated from legal complications of launching a political party.

It is also well known that the MP is a close ally of Senate Deputy Speaker Kithure Kindiki who is one of the staunchest Ruto backers in Mt Kenya East.

Former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo recently offered an interesting reading of the developments in the region during a live TV interview.

Mr Kabogo said political trends in the region since 2002 have shown that a new but winning Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) is launched every five years for the subsequent general election.

“We had Narc in 2002, PNU in 2007, TNA-URP in 2013 and JP in 2017. What does that tell you? That we will likely have a new outfit in 2022,” said Kabogo – one of 2017 election losers who like to harp and blame Ruto about the JP “botched” primaries.

Kioni, the DP chairman, said it would be difficult to change the cultural preference for political SPVs in Mt Kenya region.

“That is why we are inviting all and sundry to DP to help grow the dream of a vibrant multiparty democracy,” said Kioni. “DP will always be there because the dreams of its founders was never that of an SPV.”

Political analyst Kirimi Muthamia, formerly a political adviser to former assistant minister Kilemi Mwiria, said he foresaw an imploding of Jubilee in the next three years and most likely the exit of Ruto to form his own party.

“The logical conclusion of the handshake appears to be an invincible candidate supported by Mt Kenya and Luo Nyanza. It will be an interesting three years ahead,” said Kirimi.