Bishop Wanjiru: Central Kenya will back Ruto in 2022
Former Starehe lawmaker Bishop Margaret Wanjiru says she expects Central Kenya to back Deputy President William Ruto in the 2022 general elections.
Wanjiru, who’s confirmed she will vie for the Nairobi gubernatorial seat on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party ticket in the forthcoming polls, also suggests President Uhuru Kenyatta’s recent political moves have confused his supporters from the region.
She spoke to Nairobi News at the weekend, moments after police barred a UDA membership launch drive she’d planned for the UDA in Nairobi.
“As a leader, you pass on your leadership to safe hands so they can take care of the people. Being from the Mount Kenya region, we are disappointed the president is not giving us indicators of leaving us in a safe pair of hands,” she said.
Wanjiru also claimed President Kenyatta has frustrated leaders who appear popular in Central Kenya.
“Instead. what he (the President) has done is to scatter all our leaders who have influence (in the region), and anybody who looks like he or she is doing well (politically) which is unacceptable.”
Adding: “As the leader, he should have handed us over to safe pair of hands that can handle Mt Kenya but he’s not done that and we will not complain because God is there for us. God will take of us.”
Wanjiru adds that the retiring Head of State is free to support anyone he so wishes to succeed him.
Recent media reports indicated President Kenyatta is keen to support a candidate from the opposition-aligned National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition, which consists of Raila Odinga, Musalia Mudavadi, Kalonzo Musyoka, and Moses Wetangula.
These talks were followed by an announcement that the ruling Jubilee and Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement parties were in talks to form an alliance.
“It is his democratic right to support whoever he wants to support but Kenyans will decide who will be president, citizens will vote for the leaders they want. For us, we know who is our presidential candidate, William Ruto, who we will go all out to ensure that he wins elections,” she stated.
The DP has all but confirmed he will vie for the presidency on a UDA ticket.