- The Gatundu South MP has been missing in action lately; at a time when the DP needs him the most
- Some of Ruto’s allies have openly criticized him, branding him “a mole” and accusing him of disloyalty
- Kuria’s aggressive push to champion Mt Kenya interests in Tanga Tanga is said to have caused unease
- He has also been accused of upsetting the DP by holding meetings with other presidential hopefuls
- Fielding candidates on a PEP ticket is seen as having denied UDA a chance to have more elected leaders
Firebrand Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria has boldly locked horns with Deputy President William Ruto as he relentlessly champions his personal interests, and those of the Mt Kenya region, in Tanga Tanga.
Kuria missing in action.
So dire is the situation that Kuria has opted to keep off key functions and meetings sanctioned by Ruto to address critical political matters, further straining the once cordial relationship between the two.
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The sharpshooting lawmaker has recently been conspicuously missing in action at a time when the DP needed him the most.
On August 5, Kuria refused to turn up for a parliamentary group meeting held at Ruto’s Karen residence.
So notable was his absence that journalists in attendance asked Ruto, who presided over the PG, to explain it.
Garissa Town MP Aden Duale, who responded to the questions, appeared lost and fumbled around trying to explain why Kuria was missing in action.
Ruto, who was standing beside him, quickly intervened and whispered some words to Duale - live on television - in an apparent damage-control mission.
Kuria was uncharacteristically silent last week after Ruto was dramatically blocked from travelling to Uganda.
Later on, when Harun Aydin, the DP’s Turkish associate who was linked to terrorism, was arrested and deported.
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Tellingly, this was the umpteenth time he was turning his back on Ruto and Tanga Tanga.
In the Kiambaa parliamentary by-election run-up, the MP skipped a crucial meeting that saw his People Empowerment Party (PEP) candidate Raymond Kuria step down for UDA’s John Wanjiku.
Kuria refused to dissolve the PEP party
Kuria skipped the swearing-in of Wanjiku - the first MP elected on a UDA ticket - in the National Assembly on August 4, signalling a widening rift between him and his allies in the hustler nation.
Kuria has also stubbornly refused to dissolve his PEP party, much to the chagrin of Ruto and his allies who want him to pledge full allegiance to Tanga Tanga by helping popularize UDA, the DP’s 2022 political vehicle.
To further complicate matters, Kuria has caused unease in Tanga Tanga by taking Ruto head-on as he seeks to safeguard the interests of Mt Kenya region if they were to form the next government.
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While Mt Kenya politicians such as Rigathi Gachagua and Kimani Ichung’wa made a similar push earlier this year before appearing to develop cold feet, Kuria has been unrelenting.
He has tabled a list of irreducible minimums Ruto has to guarantee Mt Kenya with regard to appointive positions and development projects.
The MP has in the past antagonized President Uhuru Kenyatta with similar demands, criticizing the head of state for perceivably concentrating development programs in opposition zones and neglecting Mt Kenya.
Kuria’s firm resolve has seen some of the DP’s henchmen launch a political offensive against him, with some accusing him of disloyalty and even openly branding him “a mole” working for their opponents.
The MP was on August 12 the subject of a stinging social media smear campaign, with the Hustler nation legion vilifying him under the #ShameOnKuria hashtag and demanding that he respects Ruto.
These developments are not surprising to those who know Kuria well. The MP is known to act a fool, but he is not one.
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On the contrary, he is a master schemer, thinker and seer who can read and discern political signs ahead of his peers.
Prior to the Kiambaa by-election, some credible sources had hinted at a Ruto plan to tame the MP as he had become a threat to his strategy in Mt Kenya.
However, Kuria’s PEP party bagged the Gaturi ward and Juja parliamentary seats, respectively, making Ruto to wait longer to have the first UDA elected leaders.
But Kuria scanned through the script ahead of its writer and swiftly exploited available options.
He readily dropped his candidate in Kiambaa and left the DP without reasonable grounds to censure him.
Some faceless elements later engineered a coup in PEP to oust him as its leader.
But the Gatundu South MP had anticipated the scheme and registered a new party, Chama Cha Kazi, which he is now using to champion Mt Kenya interests.
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In Tanga Tanga, Kuria has been a towering figure with unmatched wit and political capital, at times even stealing the thunder from Ruto.
His recent meeting with tycoon Jimmy Wanjigi, who is eyeing the presidency on an ODM ticket, has caused jitters in Ruto’s camp.
He is also said to have met Jubilee Party Vice Chair David Murathe and discussed Mt Kenya unity ahead of 2022.
In May this year, the vocal lawmaker caused panic in the DP’s camp when he held a secret meeting with KANU chairman Gideon Moi, another 2022 presidential hopeful who has become Ruto’s political nightmare in Rift Valley.
His fast-rising and shining political star in Mt Kenya and across the country has caused discomfort among his peers in Tanga Tanga, underlining the schemes to isolate, frustrate and throw him under the bus.
But Kuria, who is known for his brazen and combative political utterances, has stood up to his critics and not shied away from telling them that he won’t pander up to their whims at the expense of Mt Kenya natives.
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He has remained adamant that the Mt Kenya region must have a political party to push for its interests and stakes in the upcoming polls, a solid political standpoint that Ruto and his allies could find hard to bear with.
“I don’t care whether I am shut out of government, this or next one, but I will stand on this one, as Mt Kenya region, we must have our own party that we will use to negotiate or join a coalition. If we are not careful as Mt. Kenya, we are going to be spectators of Mashemeji Derby,” Kuria said this week.With the MP posing landmines in Ruto’s path, it will be interesting to see how the DP handles the situation to avoid eroding gains made in Mt Kenya.
Political activist Josiah Murigu describes Kuria as an astute and aggressive politician that Ruto should not contemplate losing.
“Kuria is a big asset in Ruto’s team and should be the last man the DP can ever think of letting go. He is a good strategist and well connected up to the grassroots. There is nowhere in Mt Kenya that Kuria cannot be listened to, that is not something to take lightly in politics,” opined MuriguSource: TUKO.co.ke
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