President Uhuru Kenyatta summons Mt. Kenya leaders

President Uhuru Kenyatta is on Friday expected to meet all political leaders from the Mt. Kenya region at Sagana State Lodge.

The meeting will mark President Kenyatta’s return to the region after previously cancelling tours to his political home turf at least four times.

MPs allied to Deputy President William Ruto are apprehensive of President Kenyatta’s public dress down over their perceived rebellion to his ‘no politics’ stance, but have since intimated to Citizen TV that failure to attend the leaders consultative meeting could backfire on them.

The Head of State has summoned all elected and nominated leaders from the region’s counties for consultations on a litany of issues, among them development projects and the raging political temperatures.

At least 4,000 leaders are expected to attend the meeting, with County Commissioners and their deputies tasked with inviting Governors, MPs, Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) and selected community leaders.

The President was expected in Murang’a last Sunday at an Anglican Church function but was a no-show, sparking anger from the county leadership and residents as he dispatched Cabinet Secretaries Fred Matiang’i (Interior), James Macharia (Transport) and Joe Mucheru (ICT) to represent him.

Though the meeting’s agenda remains highly confidential, a source at State House indicated that the President will seek to dismiss claims of ignoring the Mt. Kenya region on matters development as he has been accused by a section of MPs.

President Kenyatta’s meeting with the Mt. Kenya leadership coincides with widening cracks in his political backyard, with the ruling Jubilee Party split into two; Kieleweke that fashions itself as the defenders of his handshake with ODM leader Raila Odinga and Tanga Tanga that is allied to DP Ruto.

There is also the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report whose yet to be unveiled recommendations have jolted the region’s political leadership.