Justin Muturi’s installation ups stakes in battle for Mt Kenya leadership mantle

 The elevation of National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi as Mount Kenya spokesperson by elders has elicited mixed reactions, with a majority of politicians dismissing it as inconsequential.

Politicians from the region say Mr Muturi jumped the gun, arguing that President Uhuru Kenyatta is the de facto regional kingpin who cannot be replaced until his presidential term ends.

But Njuri Ncheke elders have dismissed the naysayers as shortsighted individuals who have no interest in national politics.

A Njuri Ncheke elder, who spoke to the Sunday Nation but did not want to be named, said Mr Muturi’s coronation was done after intensive consultation.

“Those accusing Njuri Ncheke elders of not endorsing a leader from Meru do not know how much work went into identifying Mr Muturi. The probable candidates from Meru and Tharaka Nithi are all interested in gubernatorial seats, hence they did not qualify. Mr Muturi is now free to make friendships and represent the region’s interests at the national level,” the senior elder said.

But leaders from the region including Agriculture Cabinet secretary Peter Munya, former Tharaka Nithi governor Samuel Ragwa and Igembe North MP Maore Maoka said the endorsement of Mr Muturi did not mean much. Other leaders who spoke to the Sunday Nation hinted that while Mr Muturi had the blessings of elders, he had failed to involve or share his ambitions with politicians from the region.

Coronation

“How many MPs, MCAs or governors were with him? We only have one kingpin in Mt Kenya and that is Uhuru Kenyatta. Anything else is just a sideshow. Muturi’s coronation was just a Njuri Ncheke affair,” said James Mithika, a politician from Meru.

According to Mr Munya, who is also a Njuri Ncheke elder, a postmortem of the coronation of Mr Muturi would establish whether he followed the right channels to be installed the region’s spokesman.

“We will meet later and see whether he came through the right channels,” he said.

Commenting on the event earlier, Mr Munya said: “If you can make elders happy, do it. However, it is the people who make the final decision through the ballot.”

Mr Maore, who is also the National Assembly majority deputy whip, termed the Speaker’s coronation by elders as “unfortunate, misguided and unnecessary”.

“Meeting the elders without the company of elected leaders is not coronation but an initiation. We are still waiting for the direction of the President at the right time and this would have been after the BBI (Building Bridges Initiative). This will end with a lot of disappointment,” the MP said.

Mr Ragwa said the coronation of Mr Muturi was an affair of few elders yet he was meant to represent the interests of an entire region.

“As a Njuri Ncheke elder, I was never involved or consulted on the coronation of Mr Muturi. There should have been the involvement of elders from across the region because it concerns everyone. I have nothing against Speaker Muturi but the event has no political weight,” he said.

Kieni’s Kanini Kega told the Sunday Nation the President is currently the de facto leader in his political turf.

“Being crowned a spokesperson is an elaborate function undertaken by all stakeholders either in Limuru or Sagana. As of now, let no one tell you that someone was crowned a spokesman. It’s an illusion.”

Gema chairman Lawi Imathiu told the Sunday Nation that politics of kingpins are outdated “since we are past that era when an individual would hold sway over us collectively”.

Mr Imathiu said the current political trend is where “we welcome all with their ambitions and we be left with the freedom to make our choices without being whipped behind a chieftain”.

State House meeting

On Friday, The Service Party (TSP) leader Mwangi Kiunjuri, who has been lining up to succeed President Kenyatta, said the region was still clueless on who would take over after the President. He said senior politicians from the region were not being respected by the establishment citing a recent State House meeting where President Kenyatta met party leaders.

“The election is approaching and we must ask ourselves who will speak for the Mt Kenya region. We must be allowed to have leaders. We have seen Kalonzo Musyoka, Charity Ngilu, Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetangula being embraced in State House but no one from Mt Kenya. Allow leaders to rise from Mt Kenya and let the people decide,” he said.

According to Mr Kiunjuri, leaders like Narc Kenya’s Martha Karua, Mr Munya of PNU and himself should be respected.

Political pundits say Mr Muturi has an uphill task of stamping his authority among other top supremos in the region, including MsKarua, former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth, governors Mwangi wa Iria (Murang’a), Anne Waiguru (Kirinyaga) and Health Cabinet secretary Mutahi Kagwe.

While Mr Kiunjuri has formed an alliance with UDA, which is allied to Deputy President William Ruto, Mr wa Iria has already established a presidential campaign centre in Lavington, Nairobi, for his Usawa Party. The party’s officials have been on nationwide outreach programmes, including donations of dairy cows that have been interpreted to serve as the linchpin of the governor’s presidential campaign in 2022.

Mr Kenneth has been rallying the region’s senior-most political leaders to back his bid but those against his ambition have told him off.

Last week, Mr Kenneth, who has increased his political activities in central Kenya, hit the campaign trail in Mathioya and Gatanga sub-counties where he pitched his bid as the most ideal to replace President Kenyatta as the region’s political supremo.