Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri has dismissed leaders from Nakuru who visited Deputy President William Ruto at his Karen home in Nairobi as “a bunch of losers.”
Last week, Senator Susan Kihika led grassroots leaders from Subukia, Rongai, Bahati, Nakuru Town East, Molo and Nakuru Town West constituencies to visit the DP.
Mr Ngunjiri and Ms Kihika have been fighting over the leadership of UDA. He has accused Ms Kihika of hijacking the leadership of UDA in the region and sidelining elected leaders.
Mr Ngunjiri said it was “an abuse of political leadership by Senator Kihika to take leaders she purports to be grassroots leaders to Karen to be ill-advised by leaders from Nairobi, Mt Kenya, Kisii and Mombasa before the DP on the issues affecting them in Nakuru County and being told whom to elect as governor in 2022.”
He added: “Which grassroots leaders were taken to Karen? You can’t handpick people from Bahati while I’m there as an elected leader and hoodwink the DP that these are elected leaders. I disagree.”
Elected leaders
During the Karen meeting, only four elected leaders namely Nakuru Town East MP David Gikaria and two elected MCAs Eddy Kiragu (Flamingo Ward), Anthony Nzuki (London Ward) and Paul Kimutai Langat (Kapkures) were present
“The DP Ruto should deal with elected leaders and be wary of political leaders whose fathers brought political division in Rift Valley and abused respected political leaders,” said Mr Ngunjiri.
He said the leaders who were taken to Karen were aspirants who are aligned to Ms Kihika.
“Senator Kihika assembled former Nakuru County Assembly MCAs who lost in 2017 to vie for political seats in 2022 and spearhead her campaign for 2022 gubernatorial race. This will never happen. This is bad leadership. This kind of arrangement will make UDA unpopular in Nakuru County,” said Mr Ngunjiri.
Joint meeting
However, Ms Kihika in a Facebook post said: “UDA is about bringing everyone to the table and this is inclusivity. It’s time for those who have always been left behind to also have a seat at the table. No one is more important than others.”
Mr Ngunjiri said he had met the DP with seven other MPs from Nakuru and appointed a team for the recruitment of UDA members in the region but had been “hijacked by Senator Kihika.”
“We had agreed to hold a joint meeting to ensure free and fair primary elections,” said Mr Ngunjiri.
An elected MCA from Naivasha said Senator Kihika should read the changing mood on the ground.
“Senator Kihika should respect Bahati MP. She will have an uphill task to clinch the gubernatorial seat. The contest will be a two horse race between her and Governor Lee Kinyanjui,” said the first time MCA.
Karen meeting
Kabazi MCA Peter Mbae, who is coordinating MCAs allied to DP Ruto in Nakuru, said he was not invited to the Karen meeting.
“We’re planning to go and visit the DP as elected leaders and aspirants seeking the UDA ticket,” he said.
“The senator has her preferred candidates for the next elections in all the positions from MCAs to senator and that is why she has no time for elected leaders. She has neither addressed MCAs at the Assembly nor has she honoured their invitations,” said another MCA from Nakuru Town East.
Molo MP Francis Kimani said he was not aware of the Karen meeting.
“It is the right of every leader to mobilise their supporters for any political movement. It’s their democratic right to do so. All the hullabaloo over the Karen meeting is a non-issue.” BY DAILY NATION