DP William Ruto brokers truces in Mt Kenya and Rift

Deputy President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) is turning to negotiated democracy to end internal wrangles and competition among allies, particularly in Mt Kenya and Rift Valley regions.

In the latest move, DP Ruto negotiated a truce between Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga and the county’s UDA coordinator Wahome Wamatinga, who were both eyeing the same seat in the August 9 elections.

As Governor Kahiga has finalised his defection to UDA, Mr Wamatinga will now vie for the Senate seat after stepping down for the former. The move is meant to ensure UDA does not lose any of them during the nominations.

This comes after the DP, two weeks ago, asked Tharaka-Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki to bow out of the gubernatorial race against incumbent Muthomi Njuki. Dr Ruto then endorsed Governor Njuki’s re-election bid.

In Kirinyaga, Governor Anne Waiguru’s entry into UDA prompted Kirinyaga Woman Rep Wangui Ngirici to leave the party. Ms Ngirici claimed she had been pressured to step down for Ms Waiguru and vie for a National Assembly seat.

Ruto allies

Governors Kahiga, Waiguru, and Njuki are the only ones in Mt Kenya who have allied themselves with the DP.

Speaking in Nyeri, when he formally welcomed Governor Kahiga to the party, DP Ruto praised Mr Wamatinga for bowing out and supporting Mr Kahiga.

“I want to personally thank Mr Wamatinga because when Governor Kahiga decided to join us, we sat down and talked and he chose to stay loyal to UDA and support Mr Kahiga,” he said.

Mr Wamatinga, a close ally of Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua, said: “I was in UDA since its inception and when I heard that he wanted to join us, I respectfully bowed out because I cannot rear a child and then when he is all grown up destroy him.”

Mr Kahiga now has a direct UDA ticket. He will face Senator Ephraim Maina, who is leaning towards Raila Odinga’s Azimio la Umoja, and former United Nations Development Programme consultant Gachara Kamanga (Anko G), who recently joined the Jubilee Party.

Other gubernatorial aspirants include Party of National Unity’s Peter Munyiri, an economist, and The New Democrats Party chairman Thuo Mathenge

Mr Wamatinga, on the other hand, will face former Mukure-ini MP Kabando wa Kabando and local politician and businessman Wambugu Nyamu for the Senate seat.

Stunned Kindiki’s supporters

In Tharaka-Nithi the DP stunned Prof Kindiki’s supporters when he asked the former Senate deputy speaker to shelve his ambition for governorship.

“I want you to give me Prof Kindiki so that he can help me in national politics and Governor Muthomi Njuki and others will compete for the governorship,” the DP told a rally at Kathwana, drawing protests from the senator’s supporters.

Prof Kindiki has since avoided commenting on the DP’s announcement and it is still unclear whether he will be defending his Senate seat. He has severally endorsed former governor Samuel Ragwa for the senatorial seat.

When the Nation reached out to him regarding his political future, Prof Kindiki said he was “still consulting”.

In the Rift Valley, the DP last week succeeded in getting Narok gubernatorial aspirants Soipan Tuya (Woman Rep) and Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo to step down in favour of former Labour Chief Administrative Secretary Patrick Ntutu.

In the negotiations, the DP said Mr Tongoyo, will defend his seat while Ms Tuja, the sole female governor aspirant, will join the campaign secretariat.

Mr Ntutu is now likely to face off with Azimio la Umoja’s Moitalel Ole Kenta, who is viewed as the coalition’s preferred candidate.

“In Narok, we have had the three candidates and as our UDA party nominations propose, dialogue was part of it and it has taken us three weeks of discussion,” he said.

Additional reporting by Alex Njeru and Robert Kiplagat