Supremacy battles among Kiambu politicians and 2027-2032 election game plans played out during President William Ruto’s recent tour of the county.

The President watched as the leaders engaged in a public political duet in Lari constituency at the start of his development tour of Central Kenya region last Wednesday.

The supremacy battle seems to be pitting governor Kimani Wamatangi against other politicians led by Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah, his Thika Town counterpart Alice Ng’ang’a and senator Karungo Thang’wa who all are said to be salivating for the gubernatorial seat come 2027.

During the Presidential function, Ng’ang’a openly declared she would oppose Wamatangi in the 2027 elections, drawing heckling from a section of the gathering.

Ichung’wah is said to have also teamed up with County Woman Rep Anne Wamuratha, MPs Njuguna Ka Wanjiku (Kiambaa), John Kiragu (Limuru), Gabriel Kagombe (Gatundu South) and Githua Wa Macukuru (Kabete) and nine MCAs, in stepping up the war against governor.

But the fight for control of public resources is believed to be major cause of the supremacy battles, with many having an eye for the over 700-acre Del Monte chunk of land set to be subdivided.

Leaders from across the county want a share of the prime land, a situation that has often led Wamatangi to accuse his contemporaries of attacking him for protecting public land.

The wrangles have also split the County Assembly leadership where a majority of the 86 Ward Reps and a section of MPs are in governor Wamatangi’s camp, while the others coalesce around Ichung’wah, the National Assembly Leader of Majority, who is accused of sponsoring the wars against the county chief.

The MCAs accuse the Kikuyu MP of meddling in the county assembly affairs, claiming he belittles and undermines them, he directs them to destabilise county government, and those who refuse are threatened.

County Assembly Majority Leader Godfrey Mucheke, who withstood a vicious attempt to remove him from the House leadership position over his affiliation with the governor, claimed that MCAs have been receiving threats and directives from Ichung’wah to oppose Wamatangi.

“The National Assembly Majority Leader post should unite all of us. Unfortunately, it has become a divisive factor that is denying the country peace and the cause of our problems. We may ask the President to take the seat from Kiambu and give it to somebody in another county so that we get peace,” Mucheke said.

Intimidating orders

Gatuanyaga MCA Jack Ma Kung’u said: “We have been operating under very tough circumstances where Ichung’wah calls us (MCAs) at night with intimidating orders that we must fight the governor. If you don’t play ball, he threatens us that we will be denied UDA tickets in 2027.”

But in his defence, Ichung’wah says, “Even if I am an MP, I am an elected leader in Kiambu and therefore I have a responsibility to ask questions. We are asking about matters of public interest and we are not doing it in bad faith.”

Though Ichung’wah and his supporters insist their criticism is unbiased, other county leaders see it as a calculated attempt to undermine the governor’s political authority, arguing though Wamatangi is already transforming the county, some external forces are eager to undermine him politically using some county leaders.

Other MPs, including Gathoni Wamuchomba (Githunguri), and 77 MCAs, have publicly charged the Kikuyu MP with instigating conflicts aimed at the governor.

They argue that rather than serving as a cohesive force, the MP has been dividing the county and strategising ways to place the county leadership in direct conflict with the people and President Ruto.

Wamuchomba said a few of her fellow County MPs have been meeting in the city to strategise against Wamatangi.

She also accused Ichung’wah of demeaning and belittling other elected leaders in Kiambu and attempting to incite the populace against the governor.

“Those you see holding meetings in Nairobi around an oval-shaped table under the stewardship of a certain person have been getting instructions to fight Wamatangi so that farmers supporting Wamatangi because he has been giving them maize seeds and fertiliser and chicks can drop their support for him,” Wa Muchomba said.

Wamatangi blames the attacks targeted at him on a group of county politicians and “tenderpreneurs” who are disgruntled with him for turning down their invitations specifically to steal county funds through shady tenders and public land.

The governor claims that his wars began when he reclaimed a 100-acre plot of land in Ngoliba, Thika surrendered to the county by Del Monte during earlier regimes, but had already been taken and divided by people, including politicians.

He added that the battles intensified last year after Del Monte completed surrender of another 695 acres, claiming some people were eyeing the property, from which the county eventually gazetted 325 acres for an Export Processing Zone (EPZ).

Governor’s projects

“Who is this that hates Kiambu so much that anytime we get peace, something must be plot to take away that tranquillity? I heard some people saying that this governor should be tamed because if he isn’t, he will be a problem to them in 2032,

“I am focused on making Kiambu great again. But the target has been public and stealing county money which I have refused. They think by me I will soften but I will not,” Wamatangi said.

On his part, Karungo said he was not fighting the governor but only playing his oversight role as the county’s senator.

However, a recent post on his social platforms which he quickly deleted seems to give a different view in which he was cynical of the governor’s projects.

County Assembly Majority Whip Nelson Munga said all accusations against the governor since last year are baseless and merely attempts to damage the governor’s reputation and incite public disapproval.

“What has the governor done to warrant the onslaughts by some of our MPs? Kiambu is moving forward well but some of our MPs are all over calling MCAs to impeach the governor. Whose interests are they serving because it’s not the people from Kiambu,” Munga said.

On Wednesday last week, President Ruto, during his tour in Kiambu, was forced to wade in the wrangles which marred his tour, where he warned the leaders against infighting and early politics, and vowed to convene a meeting of Kiambu leaders.

“I want to ask leaders to slow down on politics and fighting. Let’s stop these early campaigns and focus of serving the people. I will soon have a meeting with them to end those fights,” the Head of State said.

The President was apparently unhappy with the conduct of some of the MPs in his entourage, particularly Thika MP who said she would spent the remainder of the term fighting Wamatangi as she seeks to be the next governor.