The Service Party of Kenya (TSP) party leader Mwangi Kiunjuri on Sunday, August 8, differed with Deputy President William Ruto over the DP's 2022 strategy.
Kiunjuri faulted Ruto for insinuating that he did not need coalitions ahead of the August 2022 poll.
The former Agriculture CS dismissed the Deputy President's plan to make the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) a national party that would win the 2022 election without relying on regional parties.
The former CS opined that political parties in Kenya are primarily regional parties that come together to form a national party.
"Nobody can boast in this country that he or she has a national party. They are all regional parties first trying to become national parties," Kiunjuri stated.
In remarks targeting Ruto, the TSP party leader also warned politicians of trying to take advantage of the ongoing disunity in the Mount Kenya region to try and get the region's vote without involving the leaders.
Kiunjuri affirmed that there were efforts to unite leaders from the region in a bid to secure a unified vote despite their current political inclinations.
He revealed that all party leaders from the region would hold discussions on forming a coalition for the Mt. Kenya region.
"In the next one month or two months, we shall be sitting together as people of the Mount Kenya region as leaders of parties," Kiunjuri reiterated.
The TSP party leader stated that the region would always vote as one block.
His comments were triggered by statements made by the DP during an interview with Inooro TV on Wednesday, August 4. Ruto had stated that unlike his rivals who were coming together to form coalitions, his party did not have to form coalitions with anyone as it was already a national party.
"Our coalition (UDA) is for all Kenyans. So we do not need any alliance, we do not need any coalition because our outfit is already a coalition for all the people of Kenya," Kenya's second in command stated during the interview.
The comments rubbed off on Kiunjuri and Gatundu South Legislator Moses Kuria who seek to popularize their parties in the region. Kuria was absent in the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) parliamentary group meeting on Thursday, August 5.
In addition, a proposal to have all parties allied to UDA collapse and join the outfit ahead of 2022 has caused a rift in the Ruto camp.
