Former Cabinet Secretary and leader of The Service Party (TSP) Mwangi Kiunjuri has warned of a plot to scuttle Mt Kenya region’s votes in the forthcoming general election.
Speaking in Kiamariga village, Laikipia West, Kiunjuri warned that the appetite by presidential hopefuls to seek a running mate from the mountain region was a well-choreographed plot to ensure that the vote rich region is divided.
A divided region’s votes will have no bargaining power and will have less political impact.
“We the Mt Kenya region community, we should no longer be proud of ourselves, we are not kingmakers, we are swing votes. We have numbers, but in politics numbers never matter until there is unity of numbers,’’ said Kiunjuri
Mt. Kenya region with over 8million registered voters has in the recent past played host to country’s top politicians and 2022 presidential hopefuls, with each seeking to pick a running mate from the region, in a bid to capitalize on numbers..
“If there is no unity of numbers, you are just like any other community in Kenya. Do not go bragging that we Gema have the numbers – Gikuyu, Meru and Embu. No way, you have been split. At the moment all the 2022 presidential hopefuls are looking for running mates from Mt Kenya. What will be the end result?’’ he asked.
Kiunjuri says the region can be a determinant of whether the country will go into an election re-run, depending on how united or divided the votes will be cast.
He said with a divided Mt Kenya region even the Deputy President William Ruto will not win and there will likely be a re-run saying it is unlikely any of the candidates will garner enough votes to straight round one win.
Kiunjuri said his party TSP has been holding party membership registration drives across the country, with an intention of seeking to offer alternative leadership. He said TSP will not fold to join any other party but will grow into one big party.
He was speaking during a funds drive in Kiamariga Catholic Church, Laikipia West, where he made a personal donation of Sh250,000/-
