Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya and his Treasury counterpart Ukur Yatani have joined a band of senior public officers who have shelved their political ambitions to accomplish President Uhuru Kenyatta’s legacy projects.

Munya and Yatani, who had widely been expected to leave their high-profile positions to vie for gubernatorial seats in Meru and Marsabit, join their colleagues serving key and sensitive dockets that have either been compelled or decided to put on hold their political ambitions for the sake of stability in government.

Sources within the government say though the CSs will not seek elective positions in the August 9 polls, they will still play an active role in campaigning for the Azimio La Umoja coalition, whose flag-bearer, Raila Odinga, appears to be President Uhuru’s preferred successor.

Besides Munya and Yatani, other President’s trusted allies said to have shelved their political ambitions to push the agenda of their boss include Mutahi Kagwe (Health), Fred Matiang’i (Interior), Eugene Wamalwa (Defence), James Macharia (Transport), Keriako Tobiko (Environment) and Joe Mucheru (ICT).

Sources said the President’s allied CSs will play the role of regional kingpins in their respective home areas where they will vigorously campaign for Raila and get their reward should Azimio form the next government.

Already, Wamalwa is playing that role in Western Kenya through his recently launched Democratic Action Party-Kenya (DAP)-Kenya while Tobiko and Matiang’i have been campaigning in Maasai and Gusii regions respectively.

Significant role

Munya’s decision not to resign signalled the significant role the former Meru governor is set to play in the President’s succession politics both nationally and in Mt Kenya region.

It was expected that Munya, a politician, who until recently had heightened his political activities in Meru in his bid to recapture the seat he lost to Governor Kiraitu Murungi in 2017, would quit his  post as required by the elections law, but he instead used a presser in which his Principal Secretary Hamadi Boga was resigning yesterday, to announce he would remain in office.

Those who have so far quit are Charles Keter (Devolution), Sicily Kariuki (Water), John Munyes (Petroleum) and Adan Mohammed (East African Community) who will be contesting for governor seats in Kericho, Nyandarua, Turkana and Mandera respectively.

Sources intimated to People Daily that President Uhuru had on Tuesday called and asked him not to quit.

“The minister was in his office on Tuesday and as his colleagues were holding press conferences to announce their resignations, he began making calls to consult. But he received a call from the President requesting him not to quit. Details of their conversations is only known to them but definitely had something to do with his work as a minister and the Azimio La Umoja politics where he has been playing a key role,” a source privy to the intrigues told People Daily.

Direct links

Yesterday, Munya disclosed that he would play a national role in the presidential campaigns, saying he plans to use his energies, time and resources to support Azimio, which is being championed by his boss and Raila and ensure the latter wins presidential elections.

“I have been reflecting on my political journey and talking to friends and supporters, and looking at the current political situations and I have come to the conclusion that at this point and time, the best strategic decision I can make is not to go and seek the seat of governor of Meru. I want to use my time, resources and energy to continue serving the farming community in this ministry for the balance of this term of President Uhuru Kenyatta,” Munya said.

He added: “I will play a role at the national level, I will broaden the Party of National Unity (PNU) that we are already building. We want to strengthen the relationship between PNU and Jubilee as we craft a working relationship in Azimio. I want to put my energy and time in supporting Azimio so that we can be able to win the coming elections.”

Prof Macharia Munene, a former lecturer of History and International Relations at the United States International University, says while there are several CSs who were expected to leave office by Wednesday but did not, for Munya, there are greater political dynamics at play that forced him to stay, and have direct links to Uhuru’s succession.

“It makes a lot of sense for Munya and Kiraitu who are the current Mt Kenya East heavyweights to work together as opposed to them going for each other. Kiraitu is an asset in Meru and Munya has turned into a good campaigner, who is giving the other side a hard time and the President would want him to continue doing so . It’s in the President’s interest Uhuru that they would be together,” Munene told People Daily. There have been deliberate efforts by the Uhuru and Raila camp to ensure Munya and Kiraitu, who after the 2013 elections turned into sworn enemies, work together under the Azimio umbrella.

Though Yatani did not respond to our messages on why he had decided to remain in office, sources intimated to People Daily that he was prevailed upon to remain in order to ensure the successful implementation of the 2022-23 budgetary proposals.

Elsewhere, CS Kariuki relinquished her Cabinet post in line with requirement of the election to contest for the Nyandarua gubernatorial seat.

Kariuki will face off with incumbent Francis Kimemia, area Women Rep Faith Gitau and ex-governor Waithaka Mwangi.

She said she is seeking the governorship position in order to bring development to Nyandarua.

“My decision follows months of hearing the people of Nyandarua who have come to trust me with my vision, commitment, dedication, and capability to accelerate development in the great county and whose potential remains untapped,” She told a press conference at the footsteps of Maji House on Wednesday.

Asked on what political vehicle she will be using in her governorship bid, she noted that she will be “where President Uhuru Kenyatta will be and I hope it will be Jubilee.”

Chief Administrative Secretaries Hussein Dado (Interior), Simon Kachapin (Sports), Chris Obure (Transport) and Lawrence Karanja (Industrialisation) resigned from their posts earlier yesterday to run for governorships in Tana River, West Pokot, Kisii and Nakuru respectively.

Addressing Journalists at Transcom House, Obure, a former Cabinet minister, declared he wants to succeed Governor James Ongwae

In 2013, we wanted a governor to put systems in place, I believe Ongwae has done that and what Kisii wants now is a manager,” Obure said at a press briefing at his office.

Private sector

The CAS thanked the President for the opportunity he gave him to be part of the team to oversee and implement his vision and agenda for the country.

“I wish to announce that I will be seeking an Azimio La Umoja ticket to pursue my ambition to become the second governor of Kisii county,” he said.

Transport CS praised Obure, saying his performance is a benchmark of what a CAS should be.

On his part, CAS Dado thanked the President for giving him the opportunity to serve at the Interior ministry, adding that he will be vying on Jubilee on his quest for the Tana River governorship bid.

“I am and will still be with the President in my political journey. That is why I will be seeking to recapture the seat I lost in 2017 through a Jubilee ticket,” he said.

State House Chief of Staff Nzioka Waita also called it quits to contest the Machakos gubernatorial seat.

Waita, who was picked from the private sector said: “My tour of duty in the public service has been a challenging but deeply meaningful assignment and I am proud of the small contribution I have been able to make towards advancing the well being of our great nation.”

Meanwhile, Agriculture Principal Secretary Hamadi Boga also resigned, saying he was going back to home Kwale county to honour the calls by his people to serve them as their second governor, which he termed as a continuation of his unique calling as a public servant.

Others who resigned to seek political seats included Julius Malombe as Kenya Water Towers Agency chairman and David Musila as National Museum of Kenya’s chairman; they are both seeking the Kitui’s Governor’s seat.