Hand Mwangi Kiunjuri followed his heart and quit cabinet to run for Laikipia governor race he could have easily won and will most likely be one of the powerful governors BUT then he was duped by Uhuru Kenyatta who sought to use him to campaign for a losing Jubilee that had been cornered by Raila’s NASA.
At the height of voter registration campaign in the run up to the last elections, President Uhuru Kenyatta made a stopover at Nanyuki town on January 21 last year. It was then apparent that Devolution Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri was set to quit and make another go for the Laikipia gubernatorial seat. Then out of the blues, Kenyatta made an unexpected call. He told cheering supporters that he wanted Mr Kiunjuri to drop his gubernatorial ambitions and help him to run the government, praising the CS as among the “fighters who protected the government.”
In December 2015 when it became apparent the Cabinet of technocrats needed some infusion of hot political blood to counter an opposition onslaught, he was the natural successor in Devolution Ministry to Anne Waiguru who resigned. Kiunjuri now faces an uncertain political future when he would have easily won his place in the table of 47 governors.
After Friday’s developments, Water CS Eugene Wamalwa is also facing a similar fate. The former minister in Kibaki regime and leader of New Ford Kenya was also prevailed upon by the president to drop his political ambitions in Trans Nzoia where he was a leading contender to oust Governor Patrick Khaemba.
It is obvious if Eugene had joined hands with Mose Wetangula he could be the Trans-Nzoia governor now, but he now needs to contend with the dillema after he missed out on Uhuru’s top 10 list.
