This archive report was first published on 22 August 2021.
Published on August 22, 2021
Deputy President William Ruto's close allies in Nakuru County are embroiled in a bitter leadership dispute, putting the deputy president in a dilemma.
Senator Susan Kihika and Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri, both close allies of Ruto, seem to be on different sides of the issue, with efforts by Ruto to reconcile them appearing to have hit a snag.
According to a former ally of Ngunjiri, 'It's no longer a secret that Mr Ngunjiri and Ms Kihika have failed to agree on the UDA leadership model in Nakuru County, and efforts by the DP to end the row have not yielded any fruits.'
On her Facebook page, Kihika said, 'BBI is dead and dusted. My No vote for BBI is vindicated tonight. There is God in heaven, I salute the Judiciary of Kenya.'
Ngunjiri, on the other hand, praised ODM leader Raila Odinga and President Uhuru Kenyatta, saying, 'Having been one of the ardent proponents of the BBI process, I believe ODM leader Raila Odinga and President Uhuru Kenyatta had good intentions for this country, and time will tell.'
However, Ngunjiri also criticized the BBI process, saying it was hijacked and politicized by enemies of unity and development in the country.
The Bahati legislator's comments came days after Odinga made a tour of Nakuru Town, accompanied by governors Anne Waiguru, Lee Kinyanjui, and Wycliffe Oparanya.
Soon after Odinga's tour, Ngunjiri met with Governor Kinyanjui, who will be defending his seat in the 2022 Nakuru County gubernatorial election, which is also being eyed by Kihika.
The meeting between Kinyanjui and Ngunjiri signaled a significant U-turn for the outspoken Bahati MP, who had been a critic of the governor.
According to Kinyanjui, 'We discussed issues affecting the people of Bahati and how we will work together to solve them.'
The new alliance between Ngunjiri and Kinyanjui may tilt the scale in the 2022 Nakuru County gubernatorial election in favor of the incumbent, considering Ngunjiri's massive grassroots mobilization skills.
