Kabogo: Karua too strong for Gachagua in Mt Kenya
Former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo.
One of Deputy President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza Alliance (KKA) principals William Kabogo and his Tujibebe Wakenya Party on Monday hinted at exploring the option and potential of linking up with the Roots Party and its Presidential aspirant George Wajackoya.
Mr Kabogo, the former Kiambu governor who is now seeking to reclaim his seat and is heavily challenged by Senator Kimani wa Matangi of UDA party, Chama Cha Kazi’s Moses Kuria and Thika Town MP Wainaina wa Jungle (Independent), has of late exhibited restlessness, complaining that he is being undermined as a principal in Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
The same discontent has been aired by Mr Kuria and together they have written a letter to the KKA Secretariat demanding to know whether they are still valued.
Political pundits have opined that may be the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) heat has become too hot to bear in Kiambu politics and they might be looking for an exit route that will give them an opportunity to repackage themselves.
Mr Kabogo, while fielding questions on NTV, declared that Wajackoya—who is advocating for legalization of Marijuana and rearing snakes as national commercial enterprises – has cut himself a niche as the third force ahead of August 9 General Elections.
“The moment you mention Wajackoyah to people in the campaign trail, there is this feeling you cannot express how and what… that is gripping them,” said Mr Kabogo.
Gone are the days, he said, of two horse race talk.
“We used to say there are two horses in the race. Today we cannot be too sure of the same. There are those who will vote for Raila Odinga, they have always been there. There are those who will vote for William Ruto. There are many who will vote for Wajackoya. I cannot explain what is happening about Wajackoya. Should you turn a blind eye to such a scenario, then you are not a politician in the know,” he said?
Mr Odinga is the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition party presidential candidate.
Perhaps in a way that might explain his change of heart, Mr Kabogo said that “the nomination of Martha Karua to be Raila Odinga’s running mate ate into KKA Mt Kenya bedrock and the picking of Rigathi Gachagua as Dr Ruto running mate eroded popularity that had been won.”
He said that Karua immediately gobbled at least 4 percent of Dr Ruto popularity “while the nomination of Gachagua brought us substantial popularity problems and it is something if not said, then we have abdicated honesty…there are those who do not want to be associated with that truth but it is something that is there…the social media is full of that evidence.”
He added: “To be frank, three issues that are eating into KKA in Mt Kenya: nomination of Karua, settling on Gachagua and the emergence of Wajackoya. Things are no longer the same. We are staring at a round two of presidential vote (after none of the four—together with Mwaure Waihiga of the Agano Party) fail to garner 50 plus one percent of the validly cast votes.”
Mr Kabogo linked Dr Ruto to the scheme to undermine affiliate parties in Mt Kenya so as to give UDA an edge ahead of August 9 General Elections.
“He should tell us openly that they have decided that we are no longer useful in KKA and set us free to go and conduct ourselves independently. His running mate is the one who has been tasked to undermine us by insisting to voters to reject our affiliate contenders,” he said.
Kabogo said that “you cannot tell me that Gachagua is going against his boss. We know these people; it is a common plan they have. We know you… we are watching.”
