Trouble between Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika and former MP Kimani Ngunjiri began during the campaigns when Mr Ngunjiri secretly teamed up with the then-governor Lee Kinyajui to lobby his supporters to vote for him as MP and in return, he was to benefit from the support of his (Ngunjiri) supporters
Fresh details have emerged as to why former Bahati constituency Member of Parliament Kimani Ngunjiri remains in the political cold despite being a close ally to President William Ruto. Ruto’s close advisers claim Mr Ngunjiri cannot be trusted with a state job since he is a fence sitter. They claim that during the campaigns he openly campaigned against UDA party candidates at night, only to appear during the day claiming to be a staunch Ruto and UDA party supporter.
Mr Ngunjiri is said to have fallen out with UDA’s top brass during the party’s nominations when he allegedly tried to secretly campaign against some of the UDA party candidates. It is not a secret that Mr Ngunjiri and Nakuru county Governor Susan Kihika fell out and do not see eye to eye. He has become a big critic of the governor, something that some of the president’s close allies have not taken lightly.
Trouble between Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika and former MP Kimani Ngunjiri began during the campaigns when Mr Ngunjiri secretly teamed up with the then-governor Lee Kinyajui to lobby his supporters to vote for him as MP and in return, he was to benefit from the support of his (Ngunjiri) supporters. At one time Mr Ngunjiri openly endorsed Kinyanjui’s candidature for governor to the chagrin of Kihika and her supporters.
When Kihika got wind of the arrangement between Lee Kinyanjui and Kimani Ngunjiri, she started directing scathing attacks against Ngunjiri whom she promised would not be re-elected as MP. True to her words, Ngunjiri lost his seat to Jubilee’s Irene Njoki, who garnered 34,308 votes against Ngunjiri’s 26,809 votes.
Further, the two failed to agree on the UDA leadership model in Nakuru County and efforts by DP William Ruto, now President to end the row failed miserably, the presidents’ allies went ahead and endorsed Kihika’s candidature.
Kimani Ngunjiri continues to attack Kihika Kimani even today claiming that she had nominated her family members and friends to the county Assembly leaving out other people who worked hard for her to be elected governor and the party.
It has also been alleged that Mr Ngunjiri was behind two court cases barring the vetting of Kihika’s nominees as County Executive Committee Members and another court case barring the Nakuru County Assembly from vetting 21 chief officers nominated by the governor.
