By The Weekly Vision Team
Former Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri has renewed his political battles against Governor Susan Kihika. The two politicians have not been seeing eye to eye in what analysts say is the betrayal by the governor with sources adding that during last year’s campaigns, Susan Kihika had promised to back Mr Ngunjiri in defending his seat on the UDA party ticket but secretly supported the Jubilee Candidate, Irene Njoki.
Attempts were made to broker a truce between them, but their differences proved to be incorrigible. Njoki emerged victorious after garnering 34,308 votes against Mr Ngunjiri’s 26,809. During the campaigns, Ngunjiri allegedly made a statement that he had endorsed the candidature of the incumbent governor, Lee Kinyanjui of the Jubilee Party. The purported endorsement did not go down well with Susan Kihika, who in turn endorsed his opponent in the Jubilee Party.
However, Ngunjiri, in a quick rejoinder, claimed that he did not endorse the candidature of Kinyanjui but only stated that he would not support Kihika because she did not respect him. “Lee is our friend, and he is the governor, and we need to respect him. I have endorsed her several times, but has she ever endorsed me? The other day, she came here and told my constituents to elect the leader they wanted.” Ngunjiri claimed this in a statement.
Following the devastating defeat, Ngunjiri has been on Kihika’s neck, making one allegation after the other against her. Immediately after Kihika was sworn in, Ngunjiri accused her of nominating family members and close allies to the Nakuru County Assembly. Last week, he came out to describe Kihika as “Champion ya Matusi.” This was in reference to her perceived arrogance, in which she allegedly undermines elected leaders from Nakuru County.
Ngunjiri has now threatened to expose Kihika’s dirty deals, including tribalism in county appointments and alleged land grabbing in the county, to President Ruto. Specifically, Ngunjiri has revealed issues concerning the Memorial Hospital in Nakuru, which the colonialists built. It is alleged that when Kihika sent his team to Nairobi to renew the lease, they illegally changed it to Memorial Hospital Ltd. in an attempt to change the ownership from trustees to allies registered as owners.
It is alleged that Ngunjiri is working on a plot to ensure Kihika does not win a second term. Sources say the former MP is pushing Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja to run for governorship in 2027 against Kihika. Already, the move has created bad blood between the senator and the governor, and the two, who in 2022 campaigned as a team, no longer talk to one another.
