Governor Mutua: Ruto is most popular in Mt Kenya followed by me
Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua admits that the Deputy President William Ruto commands a huge following in the larger Mt Kenya region.
Governor Mutua, who spoke to Citizen Tv on Thursday morning, says he has toured several counties in the Mt Kenya region and proved the DP is popular.
According to the Governor, an opinion poll conducted by Maendeleo Chap Chap (MCC) party showed that though the DP is leading, he is the second most popular presidential aspirant in the region.
At the same time, Governor Mutua insists that the people of Mt Kenya region are yet to make up their mind on who to endorse fully.
"There is a very big support for the Deputy President William Ruto in the Mt Kenya region. Let us not delude ourselves he has huge support," he said.
"According to the latest poll that we have done ourselves, the DP is the most popular followed by myself and then others," he told Daybreak.
Governor Mutua also admits the gap between him and the DP is huge and he credits that to Ruto's early campaigns in the region.
He said the DP capitalized on President Uhuru Kenyatta's absence in the region by attending fundraisers where he donated huge amounts of monies in his name and that of the President.
"He has been in the ground for a long time. He has transverse the region more than me," he said.
At the same time, Governor Mutua accused the DP of politically dividing the Mt Kenya region.
He says DP has successfully deployed the divide and rule tactics in approaching the Mt Kenya region politically.
He gives credit to the DP saying the late Retired President Daniel Moi tried for years to get hold of the Mt Kenya region but he couldn't manage.
"He has managed to fracture the Mt Kenya region. He has expounded on the divide and rule concept something that Moi never managed to do in his tenure," he said.
