Why Ruto allies snubbed Uhuru’s Gatundu function

By Mathew Ndungu
Thursday, December 5th, 2019

In yet another dramatic version on Wednesday, a team of politicians allied to the Deputy President William Ruto christened Tanga Tanga movement snubbed President Uhuru Kenyatta’s function in Mang’u village of Gatundu North Constituency strongly indicating the trouble within Jubilee Party.

The seemingly well-orchestrated plan to demean the president was a summation of leaders allied to DP recent meeting in Embu where they strategized on their next move after National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi ruled out debating the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report in Parliament. 

The close allies of the DP have been crusading against a move to plunge the country into a referendum that could cost the tax payers billions of money amid a financial crisis that most Kenyans are grappling with.

The leaders, who want the report discussed in parliament, claim the money that would be used for the referendum should be redirected to reforms in the troubled agriculture sector.

During the Embu meeting, the Mt Kenya MPs also threatened to boycott Uhuru’s functions in the Mt Kenya region.

To stamp their declaration, over five MPs from Kiambu County gave Uhuru’s function in Gatundu a wide berth sending signals of a widening disparity within the ruling party.

In fact, Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria who neighbours the constituency where the president was did not turn up at the event.

Although the fierce critic of the referendum yesterday said he had not been invited to the function, Kuria remained mum on reasons behind lack of an invitation.In another twist, area MP Wanjiku Kibe revealed that all politicians had been invited and gave their apologies for not attending the event.

“They gave their apologies. The notice was short and the president only confirmed his visit around 6pm on Tuesday,” she told People Daily.

Others such as Simon King’ara (Ruiru), Patrick Wainaina (Thika), Kimani Ichung’wa (Kikuyu) and Kiambu senator Kimani Wamatangi also overlooked the function that saw all politicians denied opportunity to address the public.

The sharp divisions in Central Kenya where a section of leaders are in support of Ruto's 2022 presidential bid while others are against his quest to ascend to State House yesterday saw the president vent his anger at politicians for continued politicking instead of serving their electorates.

“They think I am silent as if am not aware of what they are doing. But I know everything. I know those who have been talking most. When the time comes we will sit and decide what to do and the way forward,” Uhuru said. 

“I have no hatred for anyone but it reaches a point and we say enough is enough,” he added.

 Speaking in his Kikuyu dialect, the President who hinted a possibility of subjecting the BBI report to a referendum slammed politicians who spoke against it before it was released. 

He said that those politicians have lost direction as they are the same ones conducting political meetings across the country over the report.

To exhibit his frustrations over leader’s misconduct, there was a supposed breach of protocol or a planned swift move to block present leaders from addressing the congregation that had gathered at St Francis Mang’u grounds. 

None of the leaders even waved to the public.Instead, Kenyan Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church John Njue invited the president to address the residents immediately after conducting a mass.

According to area MP Wanjiku Kibe, who was also not allowed to make a speech, it is the church that controlled the program and decided to stamp their policy of not allowing politicians to speak during a mass.

“The president was also taken aback when the program changed,” she stated.

Politicians allied to Tanga Tanga movement have been traversing around the country in the pretext of initiating projects, a script which Uhuru seems to differ with.

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