Meru political supremacy battles shape up
Meru County Governor and Council of Governors Chairman Peter Munya (right) and Senator Kiraitu Murungi chat at Meru Technical Training Institute during a fundraising ceremony for Maendeleo ya Wanawake on October 09 2015. Some politicians recently endorsed Kiraitu to vie for the Governor seat in 2017. PHOTO | PHOEBE OKALL | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The Alliance Party of Kenya (Bus) and Jubilee supremacy battles shaped Mt Kenya East region’s politics in 2015.
- At some point, Mr Wambora lashed out at Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi for publicly endorsing Runyenjes MP Cecily Mbarire to contest the gubernatorial seat in 2017.
- Prof Kindiki was engaged in efforts to stand out within Meru politics unsettling Mr Murungi and Governor Peter Munya’s supporters.
- Senator Murungi’s decision to support Jubilee leaders’ call for one party caused a rift with Mr Munya, his close ally and APK director of elections.
The Alliance Party of Kenya (Bus) and Jubilee supremacy battles shaped Mt Kenya East region’s politics in 2015.
APK which has its top leadership in Meru and Embu counties was caught at the centre of various political storms including Governor Martin Wambora's woes.
At some point, Mr Wambora lashed out at Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi for publicly endorsing Runyenjes MP Cecily Mbarire to contest the gubernatorial seat in 2017.
However, it is the installation of Senate Majority Leader Kithure Kindiki as a Njuri Ncheke elder and Ameru spokesman early this year that sparked a supremacy battle.
Prof Kindiki was engaged in efforts to stand out within Meru politics unsettling Mr Murungi and Governor Peter Munya’s supporters.
The Njuri Ncheke council of elders was later to split into two factions after a pro-Munya group staged a coup against those in support of Prof Kindiki.
Senator Murungi’s decision to support Jubilee leaders’ call for one party caused a rift with Mr Munya, his close ally and APK director of elections.
The Meru governor then made his intentions clear to dump the Bus accusing its top leadership of using nominated MCAs to fight him.
Mr Munya has already announced he is waiting for APK to be dissolved to announce his new party.
NATIONAL LEADERSHIP
“It will be a big party with support across the country, not just Meru or Mt Kenya East. But its stronghold is Mt Kenya East because the key leadership comes from the region. It still carries the vision we had of producing national leadership,” Mr Munya said.
Several MPs accused Mr Munya of fuelling division among them and openly endorsed Mr Murungi to contest for the governor’s seat in 2017.
But amid the criticism by the leaders over the running of county affairs, his supporters tasked him with forming a new party through which he will vie for the presidency in 2022.
Mr Munya was endorsed by APK delegates who met at Meru Sports Club in October.
Consequently, Mr Murungi has said he is consulting on whether to vie for the gubernatorial seat in 2017 marking a major fallout between the senator and the governor.
BIGGER STAKE
The APK leader said he has been under intense pressure from the electorate to run for the gubernatorial seat in the last couple of months but he was still listening to different opinions.
“It is in this regard that I wish to inform my people that I will be visiting all the nine constituencies of Meru come next year to listen to them and their opinions over various issues affecting our county,” he added.
Earlier, leaders from three counties in Mt Kenya East formed a caucus, which they said would help them negotiate a bigger stake in national politics.
Three senators, 19 MPs and close to 100 MCAs from Meru, Tharaka-Nithi and Embu counties endorsed the one party agenda and said they would popularize it in the region.
In what was declared the Nkubu Declaration after a two day meeting in Meru, the politicians said Mt Kenya East was populous with a chance of carving a niche in national politics.
