• Leaders from Uhuru’s political base have been in a rush to register political parties.
Image: COURTESY
Political realignments and positioning continue to rock President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Mt Kenya backyard with yet another new political outfit registered ahead of the 2022 contest.
The party – Civic Renewal Party (CRP)– linked linked to Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iria, is expected to alter political equation in the vote-rich Mt Kenya region which has been sending mixed signals on where they will cast their votes after Uhuru’s term ends.
Leaders from Uhuru’s political base have been in a rush to register political parties in what is seen as a means of bargaining.
Their move has been emboldened following speculation about the collapse of Jubilee after Uhuru's term ends.
The new outfit comes barely months after formation of Transformation National Alliance Party (TNAP) associated with Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria.
On Monday, Registrar of Political parties Anne Nderitu handed over the registration certificate to CRP officials at a function attended by hundreds of party supporters.
Ephantus Githae, James Mwangi and Jane Mbuthia are the interim party’s secretary general, party leader and treasurer.
Addressing journalists at Lion Place shortly after receiving the certificate, the interim officials did not deny or confirm if Mwangi wa Iria is behind the party.
Instead, they said their doors remain open to any leader who wants to join the party which they said will end the culture of ‘conmanship’ and ‘cultism’ which has been perpetuated by other political outfits.
Many members of the team receiving the certificate have previously accompanied Wa Iria to official functions and events.
CRP has a dairy cow and milk bucket as its symbols and ‘Usawa Na Ukweli’ as a rallying slogan.
Wa Iria, a former director at the Kenya Cooperative Creameries, has been the face of promotion of dairy activities in Mt Kenya through his ambitious ‘one home one cow’ project.
“Everyone has a constitutional right to form and join any political party. Murang’a governor is currently a member of Jubilee party but we are asking everyone to come and join CCP,” Mwangi said.
Githae said the party will engage in issue based politics and bring fresh breath to the country’s politics currently dominated by ethnicity and conmanship.