This archive report was first published on 26 October 2021.
Published on October 26, 2021
Justin Muturi, the National Assembly Speaker, has stated that residents of Mt Kenya will ultimately decide who to vote for in various elective positions in next year's elections, regardless of their political parties.
Speaking in Nyeri, where he held a meeting with grassroots leaders and Democratic Party officials who endorsed him for the Presidency, Muturi emphasized that political leaders are free to associate themselves with whichever party they choose.
'We have always had many political parties, and that has never prevented people from voting in a particular way,' Muturi said. 'Anybody making decisions to move to whichever party is within their right and constitutional right to associate themselves with whoever they want.'
He added that at the end of the day, the masses within the Mt Kenya region and indeed within the country will make the ultimate decision.
Mt Kenya is largely divided on which party or presidential aspirant to support, with factions emerging, some supporting Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party, while others lean towards Deputy President William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA) among others.
Recently, Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru formally joined the UDA party, citing pressure from supporters and the popularity of the party's Bottom-Up Economic Model as factors that informed her decision.
