Eyes on Natembeya as Mt Kenya's 2027 presidential candidate

Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya,53, might end up being the surprise fallback presidential aspirant for Mt Kenya region that has been thrown into a spin by the inclusion of Raila Odinga into government.

Already, confirmed is a plot that former president Uhuru Kenyatta allies, Kikuyu Council of Elders (KCE), and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's loyalists have reached out to the former no nonsense administrator to start warming up for a surprise call up for 2027.

Speaking  recently on Mt Kenya targeted vernacular stations live interview, Mr Gachagua revealed that in the spirit of broad based government that the president has formed, the region is also forming a broad based coalition for 2027 General Election.

He said that key stakeholders in the Mt Kenya region that include elders, clergy and civil servants have mandated him to seek broad based friendships from other communities, among them Mr Natembeya.

Mr Gachagua said that among others, "Natembeya has never wronged us... Natembeya is our friend ..all are our friends, we are talking".

He confirmed that after he apologized to Mama Ngina Kenyatta and Mr Kenyatta, they accepted his apologies.

"Mr Kenyatta and I are now friends, we consult a lot and he called me and blessed me to unite our people. We are now resting as him being our community king and I as the political leader," Mr Gachagua said.

He added that "I and Mr Kenyatta are now partnering to seek new friends for now and the future".

However, Mr Gachagua said for now there are no plans to leave the Ruto government saying it is Mt Kenya's right to be in a government they own.

In turn, Mr Natembeya who is an anthropologist has confirmed to us that "it is indeed true that we have been engaging with our Mt Kenya region people about cooperation for mutual benefits now and into the future".

He said that while his focus for now is serving Trans Nzoia as governor, should it be demanded that he steps forward and act the saviour of the country, he will not hesitate to do so.

"My loyalty is to my country and our collective people. I love our diversity and my single desire is to see a country of equal opportunity, justice, and prosperity. Give me such an opportunity to achieve that for my country and I will never disappoint," he told AVDelta News.

Gachagua's insistence that he will unite Mt Kenya to be at his beck and call has been seen by political pundits to unsettle the president who is said to fear that his deputy might withdraw that support in the wee hours of 2027.

"I'm not too wise neither too dumb...There is something that I'm in the know of...when that opportune time comes, I will have a voice that will be listened to by my people who look upon me as their father figure," Mr Gachagua said while in Murang'a County on June 29, 2024, being part of statements that are said to unsettle his boss about reliance of Mt Kenya as a re-election partner.

The Kikuyu Council of Elders Chair Wachira Kiago told us that “so far we have identified Mr Natembeya as our prime target to partner with in our walk into the future as a community".

“We have also made precautionary contact with Mr Natembeya who is seen as a very pivotal choice should push come to shove,” Mr Kiago said.

Former Kiambu governor Ferdinand Waititu who has of late transformed into a radical regionalist, told us that “we are looking at a possible situation that in 2027 the president might want to pick his Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi as his running mate”.

Mr Waititu said that as matters stand, the president can only run to Western for an alliance should Mt Kenya through Mr Gachagua rebel. 

He said Western region represents the president with the best replacement in numbers should Mt Kenya that gave him 87 percent of its votes and 47 percent of his authority, decide to rebel.

“To beat a Ruto/Western region contest ticket, we are commanded by caution to court that same region to consider us as the better counter combination. If President picks Mudavadi as a running mate, we can pick from the same community a presidential candidate to court the region with a superior deal," he said, therein lying the prospects for Mr Natembeya.

Mr Waititu said Mt Kenya will also create a backup strategy to boost numbers.

"What is happening in our politics is worrying and unless we are smart, we risk falling to the same trick of 2022 where we surrendered our might to inferior numbers for a winning combination,” he said.

According to Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) don Mr Charles Mwangi and who reveals that he is a member of the 2027 alliance search for Mt Kenya region, politics is a dynamic game that dares not place all eggs in one basket.

“We are exploring contesting the presidency in 2027 and offer the deputy president’s slot to another community… Alternatively, we can chose to retain the Deputy Presidency slot as it is the case now and front someone like Natembeya for the presidency. We want to get back our position of political influence like we used to be before Gachagua took us to the current political marriage that has no dowry or even a certificate,” he said.

Mr Kiago said “we are aware that the happenings at the national front might leave us isolated and where the rest of the country might gang against us ahead of 2027 or even 2032...being forewarned demands we be forearmed”.

To beat that, Mr Kiago said "we are making a conscious decision to look for alternative options that will be based on mutual friendship and consolidation of voting mights into a formidable front".

Mr Natembeya admitted to us that he has been approached by several Mt Kenya political actors and suggestions made.

“The elders from Mt Kenya have told me they are shopping for someone with their interests at heart and also one who values cosmopolitan cohesion... Someone who knows the priceless value of peace. I have assured them that I am their creation since my mentor was the late no nonsense Internal Security minister, John Michuki whom I served as a Personal Assistant,” he said.

Mr Natembeya added that “for now my interest is serving Trans Nzoia and partnering with others to bring the Mulembe nation together in a unity of purpose for political duels ahead and should it demand that I step forward and be the national messiah, I will not hesitate”.

However, Mr Natembeya said "in a situation where our politics are becoming trickier, riskier, and unpredictable, it is better we first preach national unity and later craft those contest alliances with peace and stability as our cornerstones".