Several Jubilee Party MPs allied to Uhuru defect to Ruto's Tanga Tanga

By Mourice Seretta

Just slightly over a year into the 2022 General Election, several politicians have started to realign themselves to camps that they feel will help them recapture their seats, or to parties they feel are the most formidable to form the next government.

Owing to the fact that President Uhuru Kenyatta is serving his last term in office and will not be eligible to vie for the highest seat on Kenyan land again, several of his lieutenants have decided to abandon his camp to join that of his Deputy, William Ruto.

Ruto who is currently being rated as the top contender for the Presidency has in the past few weeks received several defectors to his ‘Husltler Camp’, and surprisingly so, defectors who are from the President’s camp and who in the past were the fiercest critics of the DP.

Some of Uhuru’s staunch supporters who have decamped to the ‘Hustler Nation’ are Subukia MP Samuel Gachobe, Nakuru Town East David Gikaria, Githunguri MP Gabriel Kogo and Kiambu Woman Representative Gathoni Wamuchomba.

Wamuchomba who joined Ruto’s camp on Wednesday was the surprise of all coming right from the President’s backyard and political pundits now opine that many more surprises are in the offing.

Wamuchomba, who has been a vocal backer of Uhuru and ODM leader Raila Odinga was received by Ruto at his Karen residence where she was accompanied by Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wa and Githua Wa Machukuru (Kabete) who are key supporters of the DP’s 2022 presidential bid.

The move to join the DP comes after months of adopting a low profile on national politics, and days after her suggestive Facebook post in which she appeared to chide the president when it was reported in the media that he supports one of the Nasa leaders in 2022.

The surprise switch of at least eight politicians to Tangatanga could firm up Ruto’s bid to turn the tables on Uhuru in Mt Kenya ahead of the 2022 polls.

The defections will also make difficult a move by President Uhuru and his handshake partner Raila Odinga to field a joint presidential candidate against Ruto.

Gikaria and Wamuchomba were outright critics of the DP while Kago and Gichobe have been leaning towards the President.

Wamuchomba’s defection is significant as she is not only the President’s Woman MP but also a heavyweight within the anti-Ruto brigade in Mt Kenya as she had been one of the DP’s fiercest critics from Central Kenya and a key pillar of the Building Bridges Initiative to amend the Constitution that was halted by court.

Wamuchomba said the majority of residents of Kiambu support Ruto.

“I am following what our people are telling us. They have affirmed that they support the Deputy President and who am I not to listen to them? They have also rejected the merger of Jubilee and ODM,” she said.

Speaking hours after Ruto received her at his official residence in Karen, Wamuchomba left no doubt that the ground had shifted against Uhuru in Kiambu.

Last Thursday, Jubilee and ODM officials started talks to formalise the handshake pact into a 2022 political agreement to field a joint presidential candidate but there have been concerns that some of the President’s men have been apprehensive about the proposed alliance, which they claim would vanquish their careers.

Mt Kenya politicians have always been against a Raila Presidency and one who must be stopped from being President and any aspirant associated with him has always been considered an outcast.

Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu, another fierce Ruto critic, termed Wamuchomba’s defection a major blow to Uhuru.

Taking to social media, Ngunjiri an anti-Ruto crusader said more heavyweights were on their way to Ruto camp.

“As things stand, I will not be surprised if we lose another one or two more valuable players. We have some heavy lifting ahead to fix our party and not everyone will want to do it,” he said.

Ngunjiri suggested that Jubilee needs to urgently put its house in order before it is reduced into a shell ahead of next year’s polls.

“For those of us who still believe in Jubilee, this is a lesson and a warning. Let’s focus on what is important as we fix the party. Then we shall stop the loss of more valuable players,” he said.