Kirinyaga County Governor Anne Waiguru now says President Uhuru Kenyatta confided in her that he (President Kenyatta) won’t support Deputy President William Ruto’s quest to be president in 2022.

Speaking at the Maya Hotel in Sagana Town on Thursday, February 27, during the BBI validation meeting, Waiguru said President Kenyatta told her specifically that Ruto has been undermining him, consequently derailing the Head of State’s development agenda.

“Ever since the deputy president launched early presidential campaigns after the 2017 general election, the president told me that he felt undermined. The directive he issued to Ruto to stop early campaigns, fell on deaf ears,” said Waiguru in her native Kikuyu language.

'Pro-Ruto leaders in Mt Kenya are hired'

The county chief claimed that Central Kenya leaders, who have pledged support for Ruto, were paid by the deputy president “as he pushed to ensure the Head of State is completely disregarded in his backyard”.

“Every weekend, we see MPs from Mt Kenya traversing the Central Kenya counties trying to discredit the president; they want to make him lose popularity on the ground.

“This, and other deeds by the DP and his team, have made President Kenyatta renege on the promise he had made in the lead-up to 2017 general election that he (Uhuru) will complete his 10-year term and hand over the leadership baton to Ruto to also steer the country for a decade. The president recently told some of his close friends that he won’t honour that pledge because Ruto has openly disregarded him,” said Waiguru.

'I wouldn't mind a Raila presidency'

The Kirinyaga county boss said she does not mind if President Kenyatta supports ODM leader Raila Odinga all the way up to the house on the hill.

“Odinga, through the handshake initiative, joined the president in uniting the nation. And, because he (Odinga) has shown that he has the interest of Kenyans at heart, I wouldn’t mind his presidency,” said Waiguru.

The governor assured Central Kenya constituents that President Kenyatta has their welfare in mind “despite the Ruto team trying to paint him as a leader who has abandoned them”.

Addressing at least 300 delegates who attended the BBI validation meeting, Waiguru said the initiative was triggered by the president to ensure that at least a senior member of the Mt. Kenya community occupies “one of the top seats” in the next government.

Terming Ruto as an “outsider who doesn’t understand the needs of the Mt. Kenya people”, the governor said the top representative from Central Kenya -- in the BBI set-up -- will look into the interests of Mt Kenya constituents in the next government.

Waiguru’s deputy, Peter Ndambiri, claimed Mt Kenya counties “were marginalised in resource allocation”, and, therefore, “the BBI was brought to rectify the wrongs”.

“Mt Kenya counties raise at least 30 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product, but when it comes to resource allocation by the State, they receive only 10 per cent of the county funds,” said Ndambiri.

MPs, woman rep, senator ignore meeting

All the four MPs from Kirinyaga County, area senator, woman representative and a section of MCAs did not attend the BBI validation town hall meeting held in Sagana Town Thursday.

Also missing at the meeting, were Kirinyaga County Assembly Majority Leader, Kamau Murongo, and Jubilee Party chairman in Kirinyaga, Muriithi Kangara.

The MPs: George Kariuki (Ndia), John Wambugu (Kirinyaga Central), Gichimu Githinji (Gichugu) and Kabinga Wachira (Mwea); area Woman Rep Wangui Ngirici, Senator Charles Kibiru told K24 Digital that they failed to attend the meeting because they were not involved in the planning of the event, and only knew about the venue of the meeting early Thursday.

'Lone ranger'

A section of the leaders accused Waiguru of running the show alone in Kirinyaga, and often disregarding their advice.

Others told K24 Digital that the Sagana Town deliberations were a waste of time and resources, “given the suggestions made during the meeting will not be incorporated in the final BBI recommendations”.

Ndia MP George Kariuki said Waiguru was bent on “personalising” the BBI agenda in Kirinyaga.

“We are busy people, and cannot be available only when the governor wants to meet us,” said Kirinyaga Central MP John Wambugu.

The county leadership that attended the Sagana Town meeting are: area Governor Anne Waiguru, her Deputy Peter Ndambiri, County Assembly Speaker Anthony Gathumbi and four MCAs.

The 300-plus attendees of the BBI validation meeting gave their input on matters health insurance and agriculture, particularly tea, coffee and rice.