Kiambu County Governor William Kabogo's recent remarks appear to be connected to which Kikuyu candidate should be William Ruto's running mate come 2022 than whether Central Kenya should support Ruto in his 2022 presidential bid.
The county boss sent shock tides through the alliance of Kalenjin and Kikuyu when he told a meeting in Juja that Ruto’s backing in 2022 was not instinctive, adding that Ruto would first clarify on how he would work with the Central Kenya community.
The governor later maintained that he just meant that Ruto must promise Central Kenya that their welfare are secure.
However, his sentiment needs to be viewed in the background of a developing power brawl over who should be the running mate of DP in 2022. Kabogo is alleged to be interested in becoming Ruto's deputy in 2022, something that the GEMA community is trawling.
Initially Kabogo's comments were understood to mean that Ruto was not the reflex candidate for Jubilee after Uhuru Kenyatta.
In 2013, Ruto and Uhuru came to an agreement that stated that Central Kenya community would back Ruto after Uhuru served for two terms. It now appears that the agreement will break unless the running mate for DP in 2022 is a none-Central Kenya.
Some legislators believe that Kabogo is fishing to make himself the automatic running mate in 2022, while others feel that Kabogo is irritated that Ruto has visited Kiambu with members of parliament that are antagonistic to the governor.
Uhuru is whispered to have branded Devolution Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri as the next Central Kenya superstar. Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi, who is fronting the union of Jubilee parties, is also allegedly eyeing the position.