Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu contends that Deputy President William Ruto understands that he doesn't have numbers thus his decision to change tact.
Echoing issues raised in a separate post, Mr Wambugu, a critic of Dr Ruto, says that the DP knows dangers of negotiating with President Uhuru Kenyatta ahead of 2022 polls.
According to him, the approach will be hectic since Mt Kenya region has nearly 5 million registered voters while Dr Ruto's Rift Valley backyard has only 2 million.
To beat the trap, Ngunjiri argues, the DP has decided to go directly to the people, using MPs and MCAs from Mt Kenya region without involving Uhuru.
The strategy, he adds, aims at blocking the region's leadership from negotiating with him over formation of government post 2022.
"So Ruto understands that if he allows Mt Kenya to negotiate with him like Uhuru did with him in 2013 he will not fully control government post-2022. But he does not want to ‘share’ government with anyone in 2022.
"Being the smart guy that he is Ruto has decided to be ‘clever’. He has decided to side-step Uhuru and go directly to the region’s voters to get the votes directly. That way he will not have to negotiate anything National for the region as a whole. He can offer them ‘local’ promises one part of the region at a time, and even turn some sections of the region against others if he has to. This way Ruto will not have to offer anything national to the community as a bloc," adds Wambugu.
The DP has toured the expansive Mt Kenya region several times and he's set to return on Tuesday for the burial of Meru Senator Mithika Linturi's father.
On Thursday, Mr Ruto said President Kenyatta was not elected because of his ethnic background but competency. The remarks were targeting Governor Ann Waiguru.
“We supported and voted for Uhuru to succeed Kibaki not [because] of ethnicity but competence,” stated the DP on Twitter.