- Ngunyi termed Mt Kenya region as “unreliable and ungrateful.”
- “Dear Kikuyus, you can unite as much as you want at Limuru3. But the 43 tribes of Kenya can also behind Ruto without you.”
Image: FILE
Political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi has sensationally claimed that President William Ruto would do well politically without the backing of the Mt Kenya region.
Ngunyi warned that the rest of the country could unite behind the head of state if the vote-rich region dumps Ruto.
“Dear Kikuyus, you can unite as much as you want at Limuru3. But the 43 tribes of Kenya can also be behind Ruto without you,” he said on X.
Ngunyi went on to term Mt Kenya region as “unreliable and ungrateful.”
“Why? I warned Ruto that ‘...you cannot buy a Kikuyu, you can only rent one".
Ngunyi made the remarks in the wake of the Limuru III meeting on Friday.
'You cannot buy a Kikuyu, you can only rent one' slogan was rampant among the proponents of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) from the Mt Kenya region in 2021.
Reacting to the slogan then, Ruto said the catchphrase was retrogressive and was being used by a group of politicians who lost the support of the people at the grassroots and were crafting ways to divide Kenyans along tribal lines.
Meanwhile, the Limuru III meeting brought together professionals and businessmen from Mt. Kenya as well as religious organisations to chart the Mt Kenya’s path.
During the meeting, leaders resolved to retain former President Uhuru Kenyatta as the region’s kingpin to chart a way forward ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Several leaders who attended the meeting include Martha Karua (NARC-Kenya party leader), Jeremiah Kioni (Jubilee Secretary General), Gathoni Wamuchomba (Githunguri MP), Ndiritu Muriithi (former Laikipia governor), Ferdinand Waititu (former Kiambu governor) among others.
The leaders noted they would continue to recognise Uhuru Kenyatta as the Mt Kenya kingpin until such a time that the former head of state would officially step down.
Leaders called on Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Uhuru to convene a meeting and agree on the region’s direction ahead of the upcoming elections.