When former Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture Mwangi Kiunjuri broke his silence hours after being sacked, he exuded confidence that the end of a given journey marks the beginning of another.
The former CS, whose sacking was heavily linked to his close ties with Deputy President William Ruto, swore that he was not going anywhere perhaps insinuating that he was bound to start sharpening his political weapons ahead of 2022 General Elections.
In his last days as a CS, Kiunjuri was visibly seen with DP Ruto at several functions.
His address at such events mirrored a politician who was ostensibly positioning himself for a bigger role in the near future, not less of a presidential running mate.
In fact, at a function in Laikipia County, MP Cate Waruguru labelled Kiunjuri as their point man in the 2022 succession politics.
The latest move by President Uhuru to send packing one his previously known close ally has ignited succession politics pitting the Mt Kenya region.
Various Governors including Mwangi Wa Iria (Murang’a) and Ann Waiguru (Kirinyaga) have positioned themselves as the potential kingpin of the central region that is currently deemed to be thirsting of a regional leader.
However, according to political analyst Herman Manyora who spoke to this writer, Kiunjuri’s sacking comes as a blessing in disguise.
” The reshuffling of the cabinet must have hit DP Ruto hard, in fact, his silence means he is still trying to swallow the ball in his throat! But for Kiunjuri, he is now free of political handcuffs and can campaign for Ruto and position himself better in the succession matrix,” said Manyora.
An analysis of Kiunjuri’s fate in politics takes one down the memory lane to DP Ruto’s history, just few years to his ascension to the country’s second in command.
Just like Kiunjuri, the DP was axed from the cabinet 2 years to the General Election for taking a stand his boss deemed as gross misconduct.
When everyone imagined that Ruto had reached a dead end, the current DP positioned himself better for the succession politics leading to his current political prowess.
Since then, DP Ruto has established himself as an immovable politician whose masterstroke led to the formation of a formidable team that not only won the majority of MPs and Senators in the respective assemblies but also aided Jubilee Party to power for a second term.
With Kiunjuri having been granted an ample time to chart his political fate diligently, will he in the long mirror the impeccable journey of DP Ruto? Time will tell.