Power struggles roiling the ruling Kenya Kwanza alliance pose a unity test to Resident William Ruto’s administration.
It has emerged that four months after romping to power, hitherto simmering squabbles among bigwigs in the alliance are exploding, threatening to spoil the party for Ruto.
Political analysts say the President could find himself walking a political tightrope should a disastrous implosion hit Kenya Kwanza, if the raging vicious power wars are anything to go by.
There are fears that President Ruto’s decision to tweak roles between his deputy Rigathi Gachagua and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi could open a fresh wars.
Already observers say both Musalia and Gachagua, despite having distinct roles-one constitutional and the other one political-are engaged in silent power tussles.
Also at the centre of the emerging cracks in the months-old administration is the tiff between Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja and Gachagua.
There are fears that the Gachagua-Sakaja feuds, allegedly over the interests of the Mt Kenya traders in the capital city, are only a tip of an iceberg.
In Murang’a county, for instance, a political war has exploded between Water and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome and County Woman Representative Betty Maina.
Interestingly, the Wahome-Maina political war has thrust Gachagua into the boxing ring, exposing the proxy wars at the national level.
However, Ruto has kept off the seemingly personal feuds involving his top lieutenants, including the dispute between Gachagua and Sakaja.
Only this week, the Deputy President and the Nairobi Governor separately exchanged bitters words during interviews on Inooro TV.
The DP has accused Sakaja of pursuing radical policies that could hurt the business interests of the people of Mt Kenya region in the Capital City.
On his part, Sakaja fired back saying while respects Gachagua as a senior leader in Kenya Kwanza, they don’t need to agree on everything.
“There are things that we are supposed to do away from public glare … and I am concerned that these politics of today are introducing me to tribal dimensions while all along I have never even imagined profiling tribes,” said Sakaja.
For the first time, Sakaja revealed the behind-the-scenes political concessions that happened between Azimio and Kenya Kwanza in the sharing of top county government slots and assembly leadership positions.
The governor has insisted Nairobi is a special case that cannot be ruled from the lenses of tribe, revealing that to survive so far, it has taken him consulting both Ruto and Raila.
“There is something called Nairobi reality which is about its cosmopolitan nature and the political party diversity therein,” he told Inooro TV.
Observers say that Gachagua could have been angered by Sakaja’s move to hand Azimio three County Executive Committee members in his cabinet despite Raila being their main opponent in the August polls.
“Odinga and President Ruto were instrumental in the consensus to give Azimio three executive slots in my cabinet,” Sakaja said during the interview.
While speaking on the same TV station on Sunday, Gachagua accused Sakaja of targeting bar and Matatu owners from Mt Kenya with policies that he branded “anti-business”.
Gachagua reasoned that blocking access to the central business district for some Matatus would disadvantage even farmers who ferry their produce to the city at dawn.
“Businessmen are not sacks of potatoes to be loaded and unloaded at will, everything must be about consultations. Give them time to soundproof their bars if it is all about noise,” Gachagua said.
In Murang’a Ruto’s UDA party is facing turmoil with leaders feuding.
Maina on Tuesday attacked Wahome who resigned as Kandara MP to take up the Cabinet appointment.
She said that instead of seeking assistance from Wahome, “it is better to engage Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua who is my good friend and ally who calls me on a daily basis”.
Speaking at Yakarengo Primary School in Mathioya Constituency where she led the distribution of relief food, Maina maintained that food security requires the Ministry of Water to upscale irrigation farming “but I will not talk, cannot talk to the current CS”.
Maina said Murang’a’s drinking and irrigation water needs are best left to Mr Gachagua to deal with.
She explained that her differences with Wahome arose from the January 5 Kandara by-election.
Their war has now moved onto social media where their supporters have been trading barbs.
