Political analyst Prof Herman Manyora has reacted to the sacking of Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri.
President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday reshuffled his Cabinet and sacked Kiunjuri. The docket was taken over by Peter Munya who was moved from the Trade docket.
Manyora held that Kiunjuri's sacking could open a new political opportunity for him in 2022 with Deputy President William Ruto picking him as his running mate.
"Kiunjuri looks set to become Ruto's running mate in 2022 because he has taken the beating for Ruto," Manyora noted.
Manyora added that Uhuru sacking Kiunjuri and replacing him with Munya was a well-calculated political move.
He argued that Kiunjuri's sacking and replacing him with Munya was a way to mend fences with Central Kenya residents who have for long decried oppression in tea, milk and coffee sector.
"Munya has been very active pushing Uhuru's development agenda in Central. He has been the one countering the narrative that Uhuru is not working."
"Now he's been given a ministry where he is in a better position to handle the development issues that matter to the region such as coffee, tea and dairy farming," he noted.
He, however, added that though Kiunjiri's political mileage has gained a plus after the sacking, it might drastically drop if Central Kenya people get Uhuru's message in the sacking.