President Kenyatta calls off State House meeting with Mt Kenya leaders » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 17 – President Uhuru Kenyatta has abruptly called off the meeting comprising Mt.Kenya leaders across the political divide that was scheduled for tomorrow at Statehouse, Nairobi.

The head of state cancelled the meeting after consulting widely with a later date set to be communicated.

Leaders who had been invited for the meeting included Governors, Senators, and Members of Parliament with no details on the agenda of the meeting indicated in the invite.

“After wide consultations, I have deferred the meeting that was scheduled for tomorrow, Friday 18th March 2022, at Statehouse Nairobi, with MPs, Senators and Governors, from the Mt Kenya region, to a later date, which will be communicated to you, in due course,” said President Kenyatta.

Details on why the Jubilee party leader cancelled the consultative meeting on politics within the Mt Kenya region still remain unknown.

Already, the meeting had started eliciting mixed reactions and causing jitters as President Kenyatta had invited leaders across the political divide including those in United Democratic Alliance who are currently termed his opponents.

On his twitter account, Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichungwa a key ally of Ruto somewhat signaled he had been invited for the function.

“Too little too late. Am busy,” he tweeted.

Gatundu South Member of Parliament Moses Kuria also slammed President Uhuru Kenyatta over his planned meeting with Mt Kenya leaders as “too little too late.”

Kuria said Thursday that the leaders drawn from the vote-rich region “have been waiting for a proper sit down for four years” to no avail.

“To call them 143 days before the election and when you have already declared yourself the campaign manager for Kitendawili is contemptuous. With utmost respect and deep regret, just let us be,” the Chama Cha Kazi party leader said on a Facebook post.

The uphill task for President Kenyatta being to unite the Mt Kenya leaders who are spilt between his camp and that of his deputy.

While Kenyatta has preferred Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Leader Raila Odinga as his successor, leaders from the Mt Kenya region have opposed the decision.

President Kenyatta who is self-declared Mt. Kenya Kingpin is strategizing to lock the rich vote Mt. Kenya voting basket behind Odinga.

Deputy President William Ruto has since been making inroads in the region with his political bandwagon majorly comprising leaders from the mountain, majorly Muranga and Nyeri counties.

The head of state has been holding strategy meeting to solidify his political camp ahead of the polls but his opponents having been working in earnest to scuttle the efforts.

Ruto has sustained his campaigns in central Kenya to fight off President Kenyatta’s efforts to regain control of the populous region which plays a major role in determining the outcome of presidential races owing to its numerical strength.