Deputy President William Ruto has blasted Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria and former CS Mwangi Kiunjuri saying what they have are not serious political parties worthy of a coalition with his United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
In yet another escalation of the troubled tanga tanga grouping Ruto said the parties that Kuria and Kiunjuri lead are briefcase political outfits that are led by members of the same tribe where the speak vernacular in meetings.
Speaking when he met UDA aspirants at his Karen office, Ruto was categorical that his party would not be entering into any coalitions completing the fallout with Kuria and Kiunjuri who have said they would not fold their parties.
“The problem we have up to now is that, a person forms a political party, he is the party leader, his tribesman is the deputy party leader, secretary general is his tribesman, the other one is also from his tribe, PG is spoken in vernacular, and then you stand here to tell us you have a party, that we do a coalition, now you have no party,’’ said Ruto.
Kiunjuri the party leader of The Service Party (TSP) and Kuria the leader of Chama Cha Kazi have said they will not disband their parties to join UDA as the DP has demanded.
They have been supported by another tanga tanga follower and Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri who asked them not to fold the parties saying they will need them when UDA gets too hot.
Kimani also pleaded with Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua to maintain her party saying the Mt Kenya region still needs a plan B should UDA which is largely viewed as a Kalenjin party become problematic.
Followers of tanga tanga and aspirants in Mt Kenya have put pressure on Kuria and Kiunjuri not to fold their parties saying they do not trust UDA to conduct free and fair nominations come the next general elections.
Kuria and Kiunjuri have been the leading the Ruto campaigns in Mt Kenya and have been considered his strongest pillars in the region.
With the implosion now happening in the tangatanga group, pundits are waiting to see how long the grouping will stay together with leaders from Mt Kenya working towards a single coalition to approach the 2022 general elections with.
Kuria and Kiunjuri are leading the efforts to form a single coalition for Mt Kenya and have since been joined by Martha Karua of Narc Kenya and recently the Democratic Party (DP) and Party of National Unity (PNU) and Safina have also joined the talks.
