‘He is my best friend’ – Maina Njenga speaks on his relationship with Uhuru
Former leader of the Mungiki group, Maina Njenga has opened up on his relationship with former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Speaking to a local radio station on Monday, January 13, 2025, Maina Njenga disclosed that he enjoys a cordial relationship with the former Head of State.
He narrated that they talk mostly on the phone and sometimes converge to share a meal- goat meat.
Without delving deeper into what their conversation entails, Maina Njenga described the former President Uhuru as his best friend.
“Tunapigiana simu, tunaongea asubuhi, jioni.. after one week. He is my best friend, hata mbuzi tunakula (We talk a lot on the phone sometimes in the morning and in the evening… other times we talk even after a week. He is my best friend, sometimes we eat mutton together),” Maina Njenga stated.
Besides their friendship, Maina Njenga argued that Uhuru and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga were still part of the opposition despite agreeing to work with President William Ruto’s administration through a broad-based government arrangement.
Maina Njenga who supported Raila’s candidature in the 2022 polls following an endorsement from Uhuru, detailed that the new working relationship was key to fostering unity and inclusivity in the country.
However, he explained that the opposition voice had been silenced following the new political arrangement.
Maina Njenga on Gachagua
At the same time, the former Mungiki leader maintained that the former Deputy President was the best fit to lead the opposition.
He noted that Gachagua’s articulation and grasp of issues affecting the citizens made him stand out in keeping the government in check.
“Kwa sasa Gachagua mahali ako ni mahali pazuri, panamfaa. Yeye ni mtu anajua kuongea sana, anajua kukosoa serikali so he is the right man to be in opposition (Gachagua is now at the right place that fits him well. He knows how to talk and he knows how to criticise the government so he is the right man to be in opposition),” Maina Njenga added.
Nonetheless, with the former deputy president making inroads and hosting leaders at his Wamunyoro residences in Nyeri in a plot for a political comeback, Maina Njenga told the local radio station that Gachagua was not Mt Kenya’s kingpin.
The former Mungiki leader made headlines in late December 2024 with some leaders claiming that he was poised to take over from Gachagua to rally the Mt Kenya region behind President William Ruto.
This compelled Gachagua to instruct his allied Members of Parliament to write a petition to the International Criminal Court (ICC), informing them of the resurgence of Mungiki.
However, Njenga dismissed the claims maintaining that he was only aligning with the Kenyans in calling for unity.