Hon Mwangi Kiunjuri who has served as Minister of Agriculture and Devolution respectively, is the leader of The Service Party (TSP), which is affiliated with the party.
The coalition includes the UDA, ANC, Ford-Kenya, among others, in support of Deputy President William Ruto in the August general election.
Although Mr Kiunjuri has been praising Dr Ruto, he appeared to change his stance on Wednesday, after urging locals to “elect the leaders they want without regard to their parties.”
“Choose leaders who will help you. Do not be deceived by the political waves brought by the parties, ”said Mr Kiunjuri, in an interview with one television station. According to political analysts, Mr Kiunjuri’s statement signaled “a new political dimension in the region.”
Similarly, they say his statement raises doubts about some of the promises that
Dr Ruto has been making to the locals. “Hon Kiunjuri is one of the most influential political leaders on Mount Kenya. His skepticism indicates a state of dissatisfaction among politicians in Dr Ruto’s camp.
It is a statement that we may begin to witness a new political trend in the region, ”said Prof Ngugi Njoroge, a political analyst.
Mr Kiunjuri’s remarks come just days after former Kiambu governor William Kabogo expressed concern over Mount Kenya’s position on the Kenya First wing, following an agreement submitted to the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties.
Mr Kabogo called on Dr Ruto to make clear the “allocation” of Mount Kenya in his government, as do the parties such as the ANC, Ford-Kenya, Joint African Alliance (PAA) and Development Chap Chap (MCC) Governor Alfred Mutua (Machakos).
“We want to know what the role of Mount Kenya is and then we will know our allocation in Dr Ruto’s government,” said Mr Kabogo. Given these doubts, Prof Njoroge warns that the trend could signal the beginning of Dr Ruto’s decline.
“Before the appointment of Martha Karua as Mr Raila Odinga’s running mate, Mount Kenya seemed to have no other political direction. That is one of the reasons why Ruto received so much support.
However, Hon Karua’s arrival and uncertainty about the region’s place in the coalition are factors that could lead to her decline if she does not take early warning, “he said on Thursday.
