President Uhuru Kenyatta’s cousin Kungu Muigai has criticised him for going against the elders’ agreement that saw Deputy President William Ruto back his candidature in the 2013 elections.
Muigai, who had accompanied National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi,during a meeting with elders at Kabiruini grounds, Nyeri County, said Uhuru and Ruto’s political marriage followed negotiations spearheaded by Kikuyu and Kalenjin elders at Gicheha farm, which is owned by the Kenyatta family.
He said the highlight of the event was the oath between the elders.
“They agreed to support Uhuru under one condition; that after ten years, the Kikuyu community would support their son (Ruto) for ten years, after the agreement, we slaughtered and ate together and there was joy and ululation from the two communities,” said Muigai.
He further claimed that he was among the president’s inner circle who were tasked to approach potential leaders in 2013 to join hands with Uhuru to face off with ODM leader Raila Odinga in the State House race.
Muigai said they approached Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi but they declined to work with Uhuru.
“He (Ruto) first refused since he had the same interests but he informed us that he would seek guidance from the council of elders. Using our connections, we approached the elders and urged them to convince their son to support Uhuru,” he said.
He said Muturi was part of the negotiations and that is how he was later appointed National Assembly speaker.
The speaker confirmed the sentiments when he rose to address elders.
Muigai claimed that the Uhuru and Ruto’s marriage collapsed after people close to the president, led by Jubilee vice chairperson David Murathe, started disowning the pact immediately after the 2017 elections.
“They made the claims not knowing that the elections would later be nullified by the Supreme Court. By this time, Ruto and Uhuru were not in good terms,” he said.
“Ruto visited Uhuru and after hours of talks, they came holding hands and went to Burma market where Uhuru made the infamous ‘we shall revisit’ remarks,” he claimed.
To quell the growing disquiet in Ruto’s backyard, Muigai claimed that he advised Uhuru to make a public pronouncement of now the famous yangu kumi ya Ruto kumi.
But Muigai told elders that the president’s inner circle, who did not want him to honour his memorandum of understanding with Ruto, continued pressurising him and this birthed the 2018 handshake.
“I personally asked the president the details of the handshake but he confirmed to me it was not political but tailor-made for peace,” he said.
He told elders that Ruto was the engine of Uhuru’s presidential campaigns in the 2013 and 2017 elections and defended his decision to support Kenya Kwanza. “We have no bad blood, during the recent dowry ceremony of his daughter we were together and even meet regularly in family gatherings where we enjoy muratina (traditional brew) together but politically we are free to differ,” said Muigai.
He also dismissed elders who claimed that he no longer represents them, challenging them to show their might by assembling elders from different counties like he had done.
Muturi told the elders that the Mt Kenya region will get a 50 per cent share of Ruto’s government.
The speaker revealed that Ruto had agreed to name him running mate after he declared interest to vie for the presidency on a Democratic Party ticket, but the DP’s men from Mt Kenya opposed it.
“I wanted to unite Mt Kenya region through Democratic Party to be given the running mate post but I realised that Ruto had made major strides in the region and that he was in people’s hearts. By the time he is through with his five years, we shall also be planning for our future,” he said.
“Ruto’s men insisted that the running mate had to come from UDA and after he informed and invited me to the bargaining table, I agreed to rally behind his choice,” he added.
He said Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang’ula demanded the running mate post but Ruto openly told him no since he had reserved it for Mt Kenya region.
