Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua is a man under siege following reports that President William Ruto is mulling parting ways with him over his alleged failure to galvanise the Ukambani region into supporting the latter’s 2027 reelection bid. 

According to sources familiar with internal deliberations, the Ruto administration is keen to sideline officials who are not doing enough to consolidate their backyards towards the Kenya Kwanza administration ahead of the 2027 General Election. 

Mutua, who was once viewed as Ruto’s point man in the Ukambani region, is said to have failed to deliver the expected political dividends. 

The President is reportedly determined to secure at least 50 per cent of the vote in Ukambani—whether or not Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka joins his camp.

As part of this realignment, sources say Mutua has been deliberately excluded from recent government empowerment initiatives in the region, many of which have been spearheaded by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki. 

“Ask yourself why you haven’t seen Mutua in those empowerment meetings,” one source said. “Is he adding any value?” 

Ruto, the sources said, has vowed to do everything possible to ensure that he penetrates the region ahead of the polls 

But reached for comment yesterday, Mutua remained unfazed, insisting that his present priority is serving Kenyans and nothing else. 

“Like the President has consistently said, the priority at the moment is delivering service to Kenyans. I know people are saying all sorts of things, but that is none of our business as long as we are doing what we are supposed to do,” he said. 

Wooing region  

And as Ruto and his allies heightened their forays into Ukambani, Kalonzo’s allies dismissed their efforts, saying nothing would sway the people into changing their stand. 

“They can bring all that money and items to Ukambani on a daily basis from today to 2027, but let them know that nothing is going to change. We have clearly told our people to eat their money but stick with Kalonzo,” Machakos deputy governor Francis Mwangangi, a confidant of the former Vice President said. 

“Nobody is interested in people who come lying and bribing them. We are aware that they have been camping in Ukambani while sending emissaries to Kalonzo. This time around, Kenyans have known their tricks,” Mwangangi said. 

Another Kalonzo ally, Makueni Senator  Dan Maanzo claimed President Ruto has tried all sorts of tricks to win over Kalonzo and Ukambani without any success. 

“Apart from sending emissaries, they have also used threats, intimidations and blackmail but they won’t succeed. The better they realise this, the better for them. Even if they sack Mutua and replace him with somebody else, they still won’t succeed,” Maanzo warned. 

In what is clearly a major political assault to woo members of the Kamba community and their leaders to his side, President Ruto has commandeered Kindiki and ordered him to troop to the region to oversee women empowerment programmes. 

While purporting to empower women through his programme, Kindiki has been preparing the ground for an upcoming visit by President Ruto. 

He has launched several government programmes across constituencies including Machakos Town, Mwala, Masinga, Kaiti, Kangundo, Kitui East, Kitui South, Kilome, and Kitui Central. 

During the tours, Kindiki emphasised the government’s commitment to equitable development across all regions, regardless of political affiliation.

He also stated his willingness to engage all leaders from Ukambani, including Kalonzo, to ensure the region is not left behind. 

“We are developing this region just like every other part of the country because every region matters,” Kindiki said. 

What was more politically significant in Prof Kindiki’s tour was Assembly speakers Kevin Kinengo (Kitui), his Machakos counterpart Anne Kiusya and a host of 100 MCAS, nominated and elected, including the majority from Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper party, who joined the convoy in urging residents to drop their hard political stance and collaborate with the government of the day to bring development to their doorstep. 

The one-month expeditions of the DP, particularly in Kalonzo’s Kitui County home turf, have been viewed largely as aimed at cultivating a conciliatory, peaceful and friendly coexistence between the community and the government ahead of the 2027 General polls. 

As opposed to belittling and demeaning the former Vice President, who is the undisputed political regional kingpin, Kindiki used the tours to lure the community to abandon the “barren” opposition and join Ruto’s administration, without necessarily throwing barbs or casting aspersions at Kalonzo, Governor, Senator, MP or any other Wiper leader in Kitui, Machakos and Makueni. 

At Zombe in Kitui East, Mutomo in Kitui South, Ithookwe in Kitui Central, Kanyangi in Kitui Rural and Kwa-Mutonga in Kitui West, Kindiki tried to rope the community into their camp, cautioning that the opposition has nothing to offer in terms of economic empowerment and making their living standards better. 

In what is seen as a clever strategy to win Kambas in supporting Ruto for a second term in office in 2027, Kindiki at one point said he enjoys a respectful relationship with Kalonzo as they were neighbours in the village and family friends.

He further said he was the mentor to Kennedy, Kalonzo’s son whom he taught in law school. 

Speaker Kinengo said Article 6 (2) of the Constitution 2010 states that the national and county governments are distinct, interdependent and must conduct their mutual relations based on consultation and cooperation.

He added that their new-found working relationship with Kindiki underscores a collaborative spirit between the national and county governments, focused on delivering tangible benefits to the residents in their jurisdictions. 

“We seek to prioritise matters of development and how the national government can continue engaging the MCAs, who are the grassroots leaders, to drive development for our people,” Kinengo said. 

Kindiki said there was nothing wrong with the community shifting its political allegiance to Kenya Kwanza because Ruto’s government was committed to developing all areas irrespective of the voting pattern. 

He told the community to ignore falsehoods and propaganda peddled by the Opposition against the Kenya Kwanza administration. 

“Our government has undertaken projects with far-reaching impacts in water, health, lands adjudication, energy, electricity connection and road works. We are serving all Kenyans equally irrespective of their political affiliations,” the DP said. 

Kitui South MP Rachael Nyamai said she will rally her constituents to work closely with the Government in ensuring challenges facing the people are solved. 

Nyamai said there is strength and unity of purpose for people to chart a united front and coalesce together for political, social and economic growth in their respective zones. 

The MP said leaders should, and are, obliged to be respectful and gracious to the presidency and allow those in power to address and solve challenges facing the people they lead. 

“Ndwisa ukama ng’ombe wendee kumithelanga (loosely translated you cannot milk a cow while kicking it- to mean, you cannot throw barbs at the president and expect better results),” the MP said. 

Besides failing to galvanise the region towards supporting the President, Mutua has also had troubles in his Ministry where he has been under focus. 

Mutua’s troubles reportedly stem from the controversial handling of the government’s diaspora jobs programme.

The Cabinet Secretary has come under fire following allegations that he favoured his home counties—Machakos, Makueni, and Kitui—in the allocation of overseas job opportunities. 

The National Assembly recently summoned him after a report by the National Employment Authority (NEA) revealed that those counties received the lion’s share of job placements. 

NEA Director-General Edith Okoki clarified to MPs that the recruitment process was managed exclusively by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, with the Authority playing no role in selecting candidates. 

“The Authority is unable to explain the criteria used for selecting candidates who travelled abroad, as we did not participate in the recruitment,” she said.