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Kang’ata admits to missing hefty Whip perks after joining Ruto camp


Murang’a senator Irungu Kang’ata on Wednesday expressed how he still could not believe he lost his position as the Senate Majority Whip.

The position was taken up by his Kiambu Counterpart Kimani Wamatangi.

Kang’ata shared what seemed like nostalgia at the perks he now misses after being dismissed as Whip then he joined Deputy President William Ruto’s Tanga Tanga camp and turned into a harsh critic of President Uhuru Kenyatta and his handshake partner Raila Odinga.

A Kenyan posted on social media that they could not believe how the senator was convinced to join Ruto’s “hustler nation” and allegedly became Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria’s personal assistant.

She wondered how Kang’ata left behind all the privileges he got from his Senate Majority Whip job.

While quoting the posts, the senator admitted that he was also confused about the turn of events.

He revealed that he was yet to come to terms with the loss of the Sh500,000 pay he earned as the Whip and the privilege of being driven in a government-issued car and many bodyguards.

“Yes you are right – I lost my many bodyguards, allowances totaling 500k per month, l and GK vehicle. Even me I am yet to understand. I think Tanga Tanga has some magic,” he tweeted.In February, Kang’ata was kicked out as the Jubilee Party’s Majority leader partly because of his perceived closeness to the second in command.

According to Jubilee Secretary-General Raphael Tuju, the decision to dismiss him was arrived at following several issues, key among them being a breach of confidentiality.

“His biggest failure as far as leadership is concerned was discussing private matters with other parties. You don’t kiss and tell. It is that breach of confidentiality that has made his position untenable,” Tuju said.

Kang’ata enjoyed a cordial relationship with President Uhuru Kenyatta and was among those who backed the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) but in late December 2020 the Murang’a senator penned a letter to the Head of State telling him the document does not resonate with Mt Kenya region. 

An ardent reggae fan, Kang’ata has of late publicly associated himself with DP Ruto’s Tanga Tanga wing of the Jubilee Party, while dismissing BBI and its looming referendum.