Emerging Maoka Maore factor in Mount Kenya East politics – Weekly Citizen

The recent two meetings at Cotu boss Francis Atwoli’s Kajiado residence attended by Igembe North MP Maoka Maore, bringing ODM leader Raila Odinga, Uhuru Kenyatta trusted aide David Murathe, Kanu boss Gideon Moi, national assembly majority leader Emmanuel Wangwe, Sunna East MP Junnet Mohamed and James Orengo, has sent tongues wagging.

Maoka Maore

Is Maore, a seasoned politician being groomed to take charge of Mount Kenya East in Uhuru succession game plan? According to sources, those grooming Maore, see him as a neutral in Meru and Embu politics.
They say the political war between Agriculture cabinet secretary Peter Munya and Governor Kiraitu Murungi will escalate, lead to fallout if any of the two was backed hence, Maore factor in the region’s politics. When one of Uhuru’s most trusted aides, Jubilee Party vice-chair Murathe attended a private function at Munya residence in Nairobi, many thought power barons were for the CS. However, two meetings Maore has of late been seen in has complicated issues. Among those who had heightened their campaigns to clinch the Mount Kenya East kingship position ahead of the 2022 general election include Kiraitu Murungi and his Tharaka Nithi counterpart Muthomi Njuki.

Muthomi Njuki

Since the 2013 elections, Kiraitu has been the undisputed leader of Mount Kenya East having received the endorsement of the president. Ahead of the last elections, the governor, who was then the area senator, was picked by Uhuru to co-chair the merger of the Jubilee Alliance’s affiliated parties to form the Jubilee Party. Kiraitu now appears to have lost the position and so is Muthomi who has been angling to become the larger Meru political kingpin. In Meru, Senator Mithika Linturi remains the deputy president William Ruto’s key loyalist while his Tharaka Nithi counterpart, Kithure Kindiki who was recently removed as senate deputy speaker, flies the DP’s flag in the region. Kiraitu and Munya do not see eye-to-eye with the CS now using his position to undermine Kiraitu.

Kiraitu Murungi

Recently, their political battle boiled over into the county assembly as the two fought for control of numbers in a war that left the county assembly divided. The wars were fuelled by Munya’s declaration that he would have another stab at the governorship, which he lost to Kiraitu in the last election. But Kiraitu moved fast to nip in the bud Munya’s ambition when he won over most MCAs, with only a handful attending the CSs functions. Some 48 MCAs out of the 68 MCAs while boycotting Munya’s meetings accused him of fronting a political agenda that could thrust the region into early political campaigns. But those on Munya’s side led by county minority leader Ayub Bundi blamed the governor for directing county assembly majority leader Victor Karithi to incite the MCAs not to attend the CS’s functions. Munya defended the governor’s seat in 2017 elections on the Party of National Unity but lost to Kiraitu. He was appointed to the cabinet after losing the race.

Peter Munya

PNU has 21 MCAs in the assembly while Kiraitu’s Jubilee has 22 members. Munya and Kiraitu who were close allies in 2013 and intensively campaigned together for governor and senatorial seat respectively which they won, were first embroiled in political differences in 2016 when Munya openly accused Kiraitu of being greedy for power after he expressed interest to oust him in the 2017 race. Kiraitu has been cementing his place as the Meru community’s most ideal leader by leading the region’s troops in campaigning for the Building Bridges Initiative. The governor led the troops during the BBI maiden rally in Kinoru Stadium, Meru, where Munya played a peripheral role. Ahead of the rally, Kiraitu led the region’s elected leaders in speaking in one voice where they called for the expansion of the executive to have the president, deputy president, prime minister and two deputies to create regional balance.

Kithure Kindiki

Meeting a week ahead of the rally, Kiraitu led the leaders in calling for the creation of the official opposition leader position saying it was important because the opposition in parliament will keep the government of the day in check. He led them in suggesting that cabinet secretaries and principal secretaries at the national government should come from all communities. Among those who joined Kiraitu were Tharaka Nithi deputy governor Titus Ntuchiu, Meru deputy governor Nyamu Kagwima, women representative Beatrice Nkatha, Tharaka MP Gitonga Murugara, former deputy governor Mati Murithi, Chuka University vice-chancellor Erastus Njoka and former Nithi MP Petkay Miriti. Others were Prof Isiah Kindiki who is in the BBI technical team, Dr. Mutegi Kabisani and Sabastian Mwangani.