Which Way Kiambu? Ruto’s Biggest Nightmare 

Left to right: Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria, Murang'a Senator Kimani Wamatangi and former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo
Left to right: Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria, Murang'a Senator Kimani Wamatangi and former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo.
File

Kiambu county is arguably the most strategic county after Nairobi. It is home to over 1,180,000 voters, according to the 2017 Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) data, coming a second distant from Nairobi which had over 2.2 million voters.

Its location, population, economic and agricultural contribution makes it strategic for any government. With the August 9 polls drawing closer, battle lines have been drawn, especially on the gubernatorial seat.

The county top job has attracted seasoned politicians, most of whom are allied to deputy president, William Ruto, and his Kenya Kwanza faction.

Former governor, William Gitau Kabogo, outgoing Senator, Paul Kimani Wamatangi, outspoken Gatundu South Member of Parliament, Moses Kuria, and the incumbent, James Nyoro, are some of the political heavyweights gunning for the seat.

An image of Deputy President William Ruto and Kiambu Senator Kimani Wamatangi at the Thika Stadium on Sunday, March 13..jpg
A photo of President William Ruto and Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi at the Thika Stadium on Sunday, March 13, 2022.
DPPS

While Mr Kabogo of Tujibebe Wakenya party, Mr Wamatangi of United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Mr Kuria of Chama Cha Kazi (CCK) are all supporting the deputy president, Mr Nyoro on the other hand is running on a Jubilee Party ticket and supports the candidature of Raila Odinga of Azimio La Umoja One Kenya.

Mr Nyoro took over the leadership of the county after his then boss, Ferdinand Waititu, was impeached by the county assembly, and the impeachment upheld by the Senate. Despite moving to court, Mr Waititu remains impeached and his attempts to get back to the office have on several occasions been thwarted by the courts.

While Mr Nyoro enjoys the advantage of the incumbency, he faces a herculean task to convince the over 1.18 million voters to cast their ballots in favour of Azimio La Umoja.

With the stiff competition - and Kiambu county being classified as a swing vote county - all eyes are on Mr Ruto. The DP, who is the de facto leader of Kenya Kwanza, is yet to pronounce himself on whom he supports in the race.

His party - UDA - is sponsoring Mr Wamatangi, and by virtue of this, Mr Ruto is expected to actively campaign for him. However, this has not been the case. Mr Ruto has deliberately refused to take sides in the contest, rather campaigning for Kenya Kwanza as a faction.

Should he opt to campaign for Mr Wamatangi, he threatens to scuttle the gains and inroads made by Kenya Kwanza in the vote-rich region, which is also home to his political ally turned foe, President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Mr Ruto is keen not to cannibalise his political alliance from the inside, rather trending carefully to ensure it garners the maximum possible votes from the county.

Kiambu Governor James Nyoro
Kiambu Governor James Nyoro speaking in Limuru Municipality on July 22, 2020.
Facebook

A decision to campaign for Mr Wamatangi would see Mr Kabogo and Mr Kuria - both who have their own political outfits - bolt out and campaign for their bids, giving Mr Ruto’s bid a wide berth, a move that would be detrimental to his presidential contest.

But what happens after the election?

When the Kiambu voters cast their ballot on August 9, a lot will be at stake for all the gubernatorial hopefuls. While Mr Ruto has signed pre-election deals with Mr Kabogo and Mr Kuria, a tough task to accommodate them in his government - should they lose in the polls - lies ahead.

Should his party-sponsored candidate - Mr Wamatangi - lose in the polls, Mr Ruto will also have to accommodate him in his government. However, a tricky situation presents itself in a situation where the incumbent, Mr Nyoro, upsets the three. This will complicate the DP’s matrix as he will have to work on a deal that will keep them by his side.

While Mr Ruto has not expressly pronounced himself on what each of his three critical supporters will get, insiders told Kenyans.co.ke that the DP has promised whoever loses a government appointment.

The insider told this publication that Mr Kabogo, in the event that he loses, will form part of Mr Ruto’s political advisory team, while Mr Kuria - in the event that he loses too - will lead DP’s economic recovery plan.

Mr Kuria has also been linked with an appointive position in the National Treasury, although the insider did not divulge the details of positions he is being considered for. 

Mr Kuria, Mr Kabogo and Mr Wamatangi, are all formidable competitors and all hope to unseat the incumbent.

{"preview_thumbnail":"/files/styles/video_embed_wysiwyg_preview/public/video_thumbnails/SBeqJa7xqBw.jpg?itok=eN-6AS34","video_url":"","settings":{"responsive":1,"width":"854","height":"480","autoplay":0},"settings_summary":["Embedded Video (Responsive)."]}

  • .