NYERI, Kenya Jan 26 – Former Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri has asked Mt. Kenya to demand its share of the national cake before supporting presidential candidates seeking to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The Service Party (TSP) leader said that it would be “foolish for the Kikuyu nation to blindly support candidates without knowing what is in store for them”.
“We as a community cannot afford to take a back seat and pretend that we do not care who takes over, we have to be concerned, therefore, we must know what is our stake before electing someone to the office and that is why we must demand what is in store for us,” Kiunjuri said Monday during the burial of Kelvin Karumuwa at Karindundu village in Mathira constituency.
He said that the region’s future must be dictated by interest in coffee, tea and milk which are the economic mainstay for most of the people.
“We must demand good pay for our cash crops otherwise how will the region prosper economically if future leaders do not care,” posed Kiunjuri.
Leading politicians who have expressed interest in the presidency in 2022 include, in no order of preference, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Deputy President William Ruto, Senator Gideon Moi among others.
All are angling to succeed President Kenyatta whose second and final term ends in 2022 and will largely depend on the vote-rich Mt Kenya.
On Monday, Kiunjur said that if residents do not care and leave politicians to speak on their behalf they will make a bad decision that will have serious economic ramification for the central region that has produced three presidents since independence-Jomo Kenyatta, Mwai Kibaki and Jomo’s son Uhuru Kenyatta. Kenya’s second president was Daniel arap Moi who ruled for 24 years after taking over from Jomo Kenyatta. Both are deceased.
President Kenyatta recently ignited a controversial debate when he posed a rhetoric question, saying “they have been saying they are tired of some families (in reference to the Kenyatta’s and Moi’s), what if I also say it is time for other communities to govern the country.
He was referring what is now commonly known as dynasties, a phrase coined by the Tanga Tanga wing of the Jubilee government that is loyal to Deputy President William Ruto.
Ruto has been campaigning saying it is time dynasties paved way for the ‘hustlers’ as he refers himself and his supporters.
But Kenyatta, Raila and other leaders have criticised the use of the hustler narrative saying it is aimed at dividing the country along class.
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