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Inside Maina Njenga's 2027 political script in Mt Kenya for Ruto

Mr Maina Njenga seeks to assert himself through youthful population.

Maina Njenga

Former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga during a rally at Kibiruini stadium in Nyeri County. File photo

Former Mungiki sect leader Mr Maina Njenga has stirred Mt Kenya region politics, insisting that he is his own man only interested to unite the region with other Kenyans.

For the few times he has executed public political programmes, emerging is a trend that he seeks to assert himself through youthful population.

He has since said that he has the ability to bring together more than 4 million youths.

More suspect is that Mr Njenga has come out uniting Mt Kenya musicians and online influencers ahead of the anticipated ousted Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's political direction which he said is coming soon.

Mr Njenga scorns ousted Gachagua's declaration that he will unveil a political party and give the 2027 voting directive.

"Saying you are forming a mountain party is not news. Parties have been formed in Mt Kenya since times of independence. Yours is not a big deal. Mr Gachagua you cannot be keeping us captive of ‘Murima unity’ as if we are not also in other counties. Rise up and be a national mindset leader," Mr Njenga battered.

To counter that directive in advance Mr Njenga has been seen in public functions accompanied by popular entertainment artists like Ben Githae, Karangu wa Muraya and Peter Kigia.

So animated is the debate around Mr Njenga that Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has called out the government “not to play around with Mungiki”.

"I was the personal assistant to the former Interior Minister the late John Michuki when he rolled out an onslaught against Mr Njenga and his followers between 2006 and 2010," Mr Natembeya told AVDelta News.

Mr Natembeya added that "I was specifically posted to Murang'a region to coordinate the fight against Mr Njenga's activities and I can freely tell you that giving this man an opportunity to rebuild that gang will be very reckless and irresponsible".

However, Mr Njenga has since disassociated himself with the gang.

Mr Natembeya said "Mungiki made some regions of Mt Kenya go back to pre-independence era, despondency hit an all too high as a whole community was forced to embrace female genital mutilation (FGM), and kangaroo courts that sentenced its suspects to be lynched and illegal taxation became law".

Mr Natembeya said: “All those activities were possible because politics of the day favoured Mr Njenga who in exchange of impunity, helped politicians entrench the culture of fear among residents.”

Mr Njenga has also come out as a man who intends to water down the influence of Mr Gachagua through both online and ground activities.

Besides gatecrashing into a public function that Mr Gachagua was supposed to attend in Nyeri County, his followers have of late been very active in content creation, recording and publishing reels that demean the former DP.

Further, his followers have infiltrated blogging population of Mt Kenya vernacular media stations where their presence in online debates has gone up, praising Mr Njenga as the uniting factor.

Their messaging tact is that of portraying Mr Njenga as a man with a godsend responsibility of offering his leadership to help Mt Kenya escape the noose of isolation.

Mr Njenga is only coming out in public forums to support the common plot where he is packaging himself as the bridge between the Agikuyu community and the rest.

What is spreading fear is his declared hard tackle for anyone hellbent to oppose him, and security officers appearing to have a special set of laws for him.

"I have to help our people unite with the rest of Kenyans in pursuit of the common good instead of isolationist's selfish good... We owe it into ourselves to walk with others," he said.

Feared as he is, owing to the Mungiki tag around him, he says he has since reformed and repented.

Mungiki was a gang that left death, disability and economic ruin.

But not many are believing Mr Njenga, the political word in circulation in Mt Kenya insisting that he has been unleashed by the government to check on the raging influence of Gachagua.

"I assure you that I'm not here to fight anyone or advance the cause of any political formation. Mine is a genuine concern of my community being isolated by a tribal chieftain," Mr Njenga said.

He added that "we cannot wait as responsible Mt Kenya people for Mr Gachagua to isolate us from the national development agenda through setting us up to play 2027 politics this early".

Mr Gachagua has since claimed that he has information that "this Njenga is serving no other agenda apart from that of spreading fear among us as well as helping President Ruto loyalists regain ground favour".

The area residents have been hostile to President Ruto loyalists who voted for the Finance Bill 2024 as well as enforcing Gachagua impeachment.

But Mr Njenga calls it bluff saying "no one can tell us to keep away from government programmes as well as be hostile to the very leaders who patronise development funds".

Mr Njenga said "should president Ruto and his deputy Prof Kithure Kindiki decide to visit us in Mt Kenya, I together with my followers will come out in large numbers to cheer them on and embrace the development that will be unveiled".

He said his is a mission to ensure that Mt Kenya is developed alongside other regions.

But Laikipia Senator John Kinyua says Mr Njenga is only trying hard to cleanse himself off the dirty cloak he is known to wear.

"I have seen Mr Njenga try to win political office in three(3) General Elections. I was there when he attempted helping President Daniel Moi effect a succession plan in 2002. I can assure you that Mr Njenga's selling point is violence," Mr Kinyua claimed.

Mr Kinyua said "you need not look further than that weekend where he had Mr Gachagua's wife Pastor Dorcas Rigathi be evacuated from a prayer meeting in Nyeri's Kamukunji grounds".

Former Laikipia Woman Representative Ms Cate Waruguru says "the Njenga agenda is ensuring that half of area population do not vote in 2027".

She said: "When you hear him say he will deliver votes to President Ruto's reelection bid, he means that he will cause that number not to vote".

Ms Waruguru said that "one of the ways of giving President Ruto an advantage in 2027 is through ensuring Mt Kenya does not turn out in large numbers to vote".

She said that the government knows that its die is already cast and people are only waiting for the voting day to go and attempt to kick him (Dr Ruto) out.

"You Mt Kenya people are a funny lot...understanding you is very hard. You from one side of the mouth accuse the government of entertaining criminals to infiltrate you, but when a crackdown is rolled out, you accuse the powers that be of abduction and murder," says political scientist Mr Gasper Odhiambo.

Mr Odhiambo explains that "in politics, block votes that you cannot win are supposed to be split by all means – legal and sometimes illegal".

He says that "as long as Mt Kenya remains hostile to the incumbent, it should expect to be split and Mr Njenga is that political implement of division".

Mr Odhiambo said "Mr Njenga is your son, learn how to live with him and also how to evade his intended mission".

Mr Odhiambo said "of importance is to know that all these politicians are first after self gain...all of them including Mr Njenga and Mr Gachagua...all are rent seekers using different payrolls".

On January 13, 2025, Mr Njenga chided Mt Kenya to cease whining about President Ruto rule, saying "he is your baby and you must suckle it".

Featuring on Hot 96 FM morning show, Mr Njenga countered that President Ruto remains the favourite to win the 2027 presidential race".

He said Mt Kenya got no justification whatsoever to keep on issuing ultimatums and heckling President Ruto since "you by your own volution gave this country his government".

Mr Njenga said "we tried to warn you to vote an alternative out of the the other contenders but you dismissed  us saying Dr Ruto was your man".

He said while President Uhuru Kenyatta was busy trying to prevent the Mountain from the Dr Ruto presidential bid, you defied and went ahead to endorse him with an overwhelming 87 percent of your votes".

To that end, Mr Njenga said Mt Kenya out of that endorsement has a 47 percent stake in the Dr Ruto government".

He added: "Mt Kenya got no valid point to complain about President Ruto government. Mt Kenya gave us this president. They told us President Ruto was a product of prayers. Let us continue praying together with our President".