Over the past four decades, Nakuru has retained immense significance in Kenya’s political landscape, and as the clock ticks towards the 2022 General Election, the county is living up to its billing.
One year to the polls, the cosmopolitan county’s political significance is at play, with top politicians intensifying their forays into the region to woo its voters.
In the past few months, at least six presidential aspirants in the Uhuru Kenyatta succession race have toured the region.
In the latest forays on Tuesday, Nakuru played host to high-octane political events, with Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga meeting his close allies in Nakuru town as One Kenya Alliance (OKA ) principals converged a few kilometres away in Naivasha town to hammer out a coalition deal.
Addressing a crowd, Mr Odinga said he chose Nakuru because of its political significance to Kenya.
Initially, there were reports that Mr Odinga would attend the OKA retreat, but he did not.
The Naivasha meeting came days after President Kenyatta told the OKA chiefs to back Mr Odinga for President.
Others who have toured Nakuru include Deputy President William Ruto, who in June attended a church function and held roadside rallies, Amani National Congress party leader Musalia Mudavadi, who also in June held a series of meetings with local leaders and key influencers from the county including business and political leaders.
Maendeleo Chap Chap party leader Alfred Mutua has also visited Nakuru, visiting Governor Lee Kinyanjui in his office.
On July 25, businessman Jimi Wanjigi also became one of the politicians to visit Nakuru recently as part of efforts to woo the vote-rich Rift Valley region as the 2022 battle for the presidency intensifies.
Nakuru is part of DP Ruto’s political bastion and is a significant battleground for politicians eyeing the top seat.
Mr Wanjigi, an ODM presidential aspirant, was hosted by county assembly Speaker Joel Kairu and held a closed-door meeting with Nakuru MCAs.
Kenya’s ‘political bedrock’
“When Nakuru coughs, all of Kenya catches a cold. It is in Nakuru where key political declarations and decisions have been made in the past. In 2022, Nakuru is poised to play a key role in midwifing the next political dispensation,” Mr Kavita told the Nation.
Jesse Karanja, another political analyst, says Nakuru has maintained its significance as a political melting pot for Kenya since the Mzee Jomo Kenyatta era.
“Mzee Kenyatta loved Nakuru, and used to visit the place always and spend a lot of time here, same as President Daniel arap Moi. Moi even made Nakuru his home, settling at Kabarak. As such Nakuru leaders are keen to maintain that political significance,” he said.
Nakuru, he said, is a political hotbed and no presidential aspirant wants to miss its attention, explaining why politicians are keen to win the county ahead of 2022.
“Everyone wants to capture the attention of Kenya’s political hotbed, get the blessings of Nakuru, with a population of nearly three million and nearly 1.5 million voters, before charting any political path,” Mr Karanja added.
Nakuru is home to renowned politicians, and is considered Kenya’s ‘political bedrock’, best known for various historic political events.
Country’s political bedroom
Power, money and political intrigues have been the hallmark of the county, earning it the tag of the country’s political bedroom.
And because of its political significance, every presidential aspirant wants to get blessings from Nakuru.
Notably, it is in Nakuru, at the historic Afraha Stadium, that the Jubilee Alliance was born in 2013, bringing together Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto.
After the two unveiled their deal, they went on to win the 2013 elections.
In December 2016, they again returned to Afraha to unveil a new political vehicle, the Jubilee Party, after they agreed to merge their parties — The National Alliance and the United Republican Party — ahead of the bruising 2017 General Election.
The duo went on to win the 2017 polls, with Nakuru voting overwhelmingly for them.
They also held thanksgiving prayers at Afraha in 2016 following the collapse of their crimes-against-humanity cases at the International Criminal Court.
Governor Kinyanjui says Nakuru is the soul of Kenya’s politics owing to the past political pronouncements that have shaped the country’s politics.
“Nakuru holds a strategic position politically and economically and hence we must take a lead role in the 2022 General Election and determine who becomes the next President of Kenya,” he said.
“Ahead of the 2022 polls, this is a season of political engagements and we welcome all top political players to tour and campaign in Nakuru, then the voters will decide.”
“Our county is the third biggest in terms of population and we want to make it clear that we will not be mere spectators in national politics. We must be on the table when the national cake is being shared and we welcome all political players to the table,” he added.
Political realignments are already shaping up by the day as the fight over Nakuru votes intensifies, with leaders keen not to be left out.
“It is time for leaders to have conversations on sound politics and a peaceful election come 2022. For Nakuru, our number one priority is peace. As a cosmopolitan county, we are champions of a peaceful election and we want to approach the elections from a platform of agenda and policy,” he said.
When ANC’s Mr Mudavadi toured Nakuru, he joined the list of politicians keen to woo the vote-rich county.
During his two-day visit, he was hosted by Governor Kinyanjui and assembly Speaker Kairu.
“My race for the presidency is anchored around rebuilding a resilient economy and ensuring peace and stability in the country. I know you won’t disappoint me,” he told a group of leaders at a Nakuru hotel.
He urged communities in Nakuru to remain united as the country prepares for the next General Election and to support his bid to become Kenya’s fifth President.
“Nakuru is a cosmopolitan county with huge pockets of Kalenjin, Kikuyu, Luo, Luhya, Kisii, Kamba and Maasai votes. I urge the various communities that live in Nakuru to coexist and embrace peace as we go to the elections next year,” he told a congregation at Christ the King Cathedral.
His Nakuru tour sought to bolster his message on resuscitating the economy and managing the public debt as he aims to be handed the mandate by Kenyans to succeed President Kenyatta.
During his tour, Mr Mudavadi also held consultative meetings with key influencers from the county including business and political leaders.
The Nation established that over 15 members of the Nakuru County Assembly endorsed the ANC leader’s presidential ambitions, after he held a closed-door meeting with the leaders at a Nakuru hotel.
On June 25, DP Ruto attended the consecration ceremony of the elected general overseer of the Full Gospel Church of Kenya, Bishop David Macharia, at Langalanga in Nakuru town.
The DP later held rallies to drum up support for his United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party and his 2022 presidential bid, saying his administration would focus on empowering ordinary people through his “bottom-up” economic model.
President Kenyatta is also expected to tour the Rift Valley region later this month, in what is seen as a grand plan to appease the electorate.
Nakuru is also home to three Heads of State, including President Kenyatta and the late President Moi. President Moi, who ruled for 24 years, held most of his meetings either in his Kabarak home or at the Nakuru State House.
President Kenyatta, who has often expressed his high regard for the county, has a home at the expansive Gicheha farm, which neighbours Moi’s Kabarak home, both in Rongai sub-county.
Nakuru has 11 sub-counties: Nakuru Town West, Nakuru Town East, Bahati, Subukia, Rongai, Njoro, Molo, Kuresoi South, Kuresoi North, Gilgil and Naivasha.
Nakuru is home to other big names, such as Ochieng’ Oneko, Kihika Kimani, Mark Mwithaga, Koigi Wamwere, Ng’ang’a Kihonge, Wilson Leitich, Kariuki Chotara, Alicen Chelaite and Mirugi Kariuki.
