Waiguru and DP Rutos political union turned sour: What went wrong?
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru made headlines in August last year when pictures emerged of her and her MCAs at the official residence of DP William Ruto in Karen, Nairobi.
A day before the visit, an IPSOS study had claimed that a majority of Kenyans who took part in the poll perceived them as the most corrupt.
While the Kirinyaga Governor threatened a lawsuit, DP Ruto rubbished the study as ‘injili ya shetani’.
Those running 'injili ya shetani'that unless your father was a minister,a vice president or a president however hard you work you must remain poor and if not a pauper you must be corrupt &
have stolen, they should know that those without god fathers we have GOD the father.Shindwe
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) August 23, 2018
According to the DP, political rivals funded the IPSOS poll to influence the 2022 succession debate.
On her part, Waiguru threatened to sue the research firm as she had never been charged in a court of law over loss of public funds.
“I will this say to IPSOS: Shame on you. Shame on you for pushing an agenda that you know very well is political. I have never been taken to court because of any matter regarding corruption. So you cannot come and say that I am the most corrupt,” Waiguru said on August 22, 2018.
A day after the IPSOS poll, DP Ruto and Waiguru held a meeting with Kirinyaga MCAs in tow, emerging all smiles after the talks.
The two leaders are said to have discussed how to work together on national and county development projects.
They had appeared together on other occasions such as Gichugu MP Gichimu Gichinji’s thanksgiving ceremony, the Devolution Conference and many others.
At a past event, Waiguru had even shown her support for the DP saying she backed his 2022 State House bid.
“We already have a president for 2022, who is William Ruto. We as Central Kenya are standing with Ruto. There are people with other plans but we will stand with you,” Waiguru said as quoted in the Standard on April 23, 2018.
She had on several occasions been touted as a potential running mate for DP Ruto.
However, almost a year later, the tune changed; Waiguru called for an end to the 2022 succession debate.
“Even President Mwai Kibaki had a deputy (Kalonzo Msyoka) who had presidential ambitions, but he didn’t campaign until Kibaki’s term was over.
“Let us give President Uhuru time to serve Kenyans then campaign at the right time,” she said during an Embrace Kenya women rally.
Fast forward to July 13, 2019: Anne Waiguru’s wedding day; DP Ruto was conspicuously absent from his ally’s big day.
Also missing from the guest list was Kirinyaga Woman Rep Wangui Ngirici.
President Uhuru Kenyatta, ODM leader Raila Odinga and other leaders from across the political divide were however present for the nuptials.
Two months later, the disquiet between Waiguru and DP Ruto seems to have boiled over. On Thursday, the Deputy President said on Twitter:
We supported and voted for Uhuru to succeed Kibaki not b'cos of ethnicity but COMPETENCE. He is NOT leader of any ethnic community but that ofJUBILEE ,the largest political party with Mca's,Mps and Gov's in 41 of 47 counties and President of kenya. Muwache kasumba ya ukabila pls. pic.twitter.com/Pw9NY50InB
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) September 12, 2019
So what went wrong between Waiguru and DP Ruto? Was their political alliance built on shaky ground and will it be rekindled in time for the 2022 elections?
Interestingly, Kirinyaga Woman Rep Ngirici who has been on the receiving end of Waiguru’s woes, has stuck out like a sore thumb.
The Deputy President was even caught up in a vicious political supremacy contest between the two county leaders in April last year.
Ngirici accompanies the DP to most of his events across the country, the latest being a prayer service at Our Lady of Sorrows, Baricho Catholic Parish in Kirinyaga County.
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