By The Weekly Vision Team
Former Gatanga Member of Parliament Hon. Peter Kenneth’s whereabouts since the last general elections has been a subject of speculation among many Kenyans, until recently when he gave a media interview. But where has he been since the last elections?
Mr. Kenneth, commonly referred to as PK, previously ran for the presidency and was defeated. He also contested for the governorship of Nairobi County, but unfortunately for him, he was defeated by Mike Sonko. His re-emergence in the public spotlight has triggered speculation about his motives, with analysts saying that he could be planning a political comeback, with his sights set on the 2027 elections. What chance does he have at his disposal? Could it be that he is strategizing for another political comeback in city politics?
With the assumption that UDA will maintain their support for Johnson Sakaja, and as mentioned earlier, while ODM is expected to endorse Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi, PK could effortlessly position himself as a candidate representing Mount Kenya. He also has the choice of entering the gubernatorial race in Muran’ga County, where he would face off against Irungu Kang’ata. On the other hand, he could decide to run for the MP seat in Gatanga constituency, a position he had previously occupied.
He recently made a media interview in which he highlighted several issues that, according to him, were not being addressed appropriately by President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration. He criticized the president’s inaction towards the ongoing doctors’ strike, the proliferation of counterfeit fertilizers, and the soaring taxation rates.
Sources have confirmed to us that PK has returned from his sabbatical leave to pursue a political agenda. The key question is: which political party will he align himself with? From a political standpoint, for him to stage a meaningful political resurgence, he must alter his political strategy and align himself with one of the major political parties in the country to succeed. Those who are acquainted with him will concur that Kenyans tend to admire leaders who are confrontational and willing to take risks, qualities that PK lacks as he tends to avoid trouble, a characteristic that may have hindered him in the past.
Following the last elections, it has been reported that PK has been closely observing the political landscape in the country, contemplating which faction to align with to stage a successful political comeback. Two years later, PK seems to have examined the political landscape and must have observed that the ground is slowly but surely shifting away from President Ruto. He has deduced that, when the next election comes, the president’s popularity will dwindle even further, particularly in the Mount Kenya region. Additionally, the findings of a recent TIFA survey, which revealed PK’s popularity had surpassed that of DP Gachagua among the GEMA community, may have motivated him to stage a political comeback.
Even though he did not participate in any electoral races, he showed his unwavering support for Azimio and Raila Odinga. Many people believe that had Raila Odinga won the presidential elections, Kenneth would have been picked for either the position of cabinet secretary or principal secretary. However, that scenario did not unfold. Could he be the compromised presidential candidate that the Mount Kenya region is looking for in preparation for challenging President Ruto in 2027?
