Susan Kihika, Kimani Ngunjiri row plays out as they jostle to control Ruto’s Nakuru team
The row between Tangatanga legislators, Susan Kihika and Kimani Ngunjiri, has once again played out after an earlier war of words. Political pundits opine that the row is fueled by the lawmakers' desire to become Ruto's point persons at the vote-rich Nakuru county.
Senator Susan Kihika on September 2, 2021, led a delegation of Nakuru county leaders to Ruto's Karen home, a move that has seemingly not augured well with Kimani Ngunjiri. The Bahati MP claims that the senator cherry-picked leaders and bloggers, who are in support of her 2022 gubernatorial bid and not the elected representatives of Nakuru residents, save for Nakuru East MP David Gikaria.
"I was surprised by the outcome yesterday at Karen when a section of leaders from Nakuru went to visit DP Ruto at his residence. Led by an aspiring Governor, the leaders, political brokers and bloggers are said to have taken issues affecting Nakuru County to DP Ruto.
"Yesterday’s meeting at DP's residence did not involve elected leaders from Nakuru, except one member of parliament from Nakuru East Hon. Gikaria.
"It is rather unfortunate that this group led by the aspiring Governor did not see the need to involve other elected representatives from Nakuru to go and present issues affecting hustlers in their respective constituencies," he posted.
Ngunjiri reports that the unfolding at Ruto's home did not also go down well with residents of the Rift Valley county. According to him, Nakuru constituents have grown tired of the trend of their pertinent issues being addressed by outsiders.
The experienced legislator claims that the trend of secluding Nakuru's elected leaders in such important fora stems from the maiden regime of the Jubilee government. Ngunjiri claims that the Jubilee government, despite garnering a large chunk of the Nakuru vote, only awarded the county with a ceremonial CAS position.
While ascertaining his unwavering support for Ruto's 2022 presidential bid, Ngunjiri has implored on the second-in-command to move with speed and address the issue.
"DP William Ruto should crack the whip and ask all aspirants to run their campaigns without intimidating other aspirants. I said the other day that personally as Kimani Ngunjiri I will not sleep until I see DP William Ruto assume office in 2022 as the president of this great republic.
"Secondly, I will be at peace when my Bahati residents will vote me in under UDA to serve them again after scooping the award for the Best MP in Nakuru County, the rest of the seats am not interested in them, and I will not participate in lobbying for anybody to get any elected seat, " he added.
