Following Ruto’s swearing-in on 13th September 2022, Kega, alongside nominated MP Sabina Chege, led a splinter faction of the Jubilee Party into a cooperation deal with Ruto’s administration, much to the chagrin of retired President Kenyatta. In a dramatic twist, Kega installed himself as Jubilee Secretary-General and fronted Sabina Chege as party leader, citing constitutional provisions that prohibit a retired president from holding office in a political party more than six months after leaving office. Uhuru was even referred to the party’s National Disciplinary Committee for “gross misconduct.”
However, that bold takeover came crashing down last month when a prolonged legal battle ended with the party officially reverting to the Uhuru-aligned faction. Perhaps anticipating a political dead-end, Kega quickly jumped ship, this time pledging allegiance to Riggy G, who has recently re-emerged as the face of Mt Kenya politics following his impeachment and estrangement from President Ruto.
Kega’s latest political manoeuvring is striking, given his long and bitter rivalry with Riggy. Both hail from Nyeri County, and their relationship has swung between friendship and fierce opposition. In the 2022 elections, Riggy famously backed political newcomer Njoroge Wainaina against Kega, vowing to teach him “a political lesson.” Wainaina won by a landslide, prompting a visibly upset Kega to withdraw from all Nyeri County political WhatsApp groups.
Yet politics makes for strange bedfellows. After the election, Kega sought a nomination to EALA in a desperate bid to remain politically relevant. When Uhuru and Raila Odinga directed their MPs to deny him support, it was none other than Riggy who whipped UDA MPs into voting Kega in, despite their history.
Since then, the political bromance between the two has grown. Just last week, as Riggy departed for a trip to the U.S. to meet the Kenyan diaspora, Kega posted a glowing message on X (formerly Twitter):
“Safe Skies Gitungati 001, the 2nd Deputy President. We shall hold brief for you while you are away.”
Earlier, he had posted a cryptic message seemingly aimed at President Ruto:
“Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin”, a biblical warning interpreted as “your days are numbered.”
Sources close to Kega say he is eyeing the Nyeri gubernatorial seat in 2027, to succeed Governor Mutahi Kahiga. If so, aligning with Riggy, now the de facto Mt Kenya kingpin, is both strategic and necessary. Riggy’s stock has risen significantly in the region, bolstered by his public fallout with the President, which earned him sympathy and reinforced his image as a victim of political betrayal.
Kega has also reportedly been in consultative meetings with Nyeri County opinion leaders, including Governor Kahiga. It is widely speculated that he may soon defect from Jubilee altogether and join Riggy’s newly launched political outfit, the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP).
In Mt Kenya politics, allegiances are fluid, and survival often trumps loyalty. Kanini Kega’s move is the latest proof that, in the high-stakes world of Kenyan politics, there are no permanent enemies, only shifting alliances and strategic reinventions.
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