Muturi’s campaign in disarray as aide shuns strategy team, advisors

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi during a meeting with a section of traders in Nairobi at Serena Hotel, on Thursday, August 26, 2021. [David Njaaga, Standard]

Infighting inside National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi’s presidential campaign team is threatening to derail his march to State House.

The tension has left Muturi’s team, supporters and allies in confusion and the entire campaign appear deflated.

The strategy and Communications team is said to have stalled after their work was taken over without informing them and two of the strategists have since quit.

A University of Nairobi don is said to have quit in September. Also seemingly locked out is a media analyst and an expert in leadership and management.

“I have heard of those complaints because he looks at everything negatively and I hear he is not working well with the rest of the team,” said one of Muturi’s confidants yesterday.

Trouble began when one of Muturi’s closest handlers shunned the strategy teams, among them university dons, causing disquiet.

Sources at the Thigiri, Muthaiga North-based JB think-tank office, say the aide locked out other personnel in the campaign team.

Muturi’s campaign had started with a bang, with him being crowned Mt Kenya spokesperson last May before hitting the campaign trail.

He assembled a team of eight communications experts to popularise his candidature and appeared to be doing well until a few weeks ago.

He also put together a higher team of seven confidants as his think tank to work closely with his campaign centre. “The teams worked in unison and were responsible for the initial surge in the candidate’s bid for State House,” said one of the Speaker’s allies.

But the campaign is now taking a beating after the aide shunned the strategy team and the inner one of confidants and assumed their roles.

Most MPs and MCAs who had initially shown interest in supporting Muturi’s bid are said to have defected to Deputy President William Ruto’s UDA complaining of being denied access to him.

Also disgusted are some of the Speaker’s powerful supporters, who were offering him covert backing.