By Ahmed Salat political Affairs AARAN TV KE
Former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi has revealed the circumstances under which President William Ruto settled on former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua as his running mate in the lead-up to the 2022 Kenyan General Election.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, March 10, Muturi recounted a late-night meeting with Ruto on the eve of the running mate announcement, during which the president explained the political considerations that informed the final decision.
According to Muturi, the meeting took place after Ruto called him while he was in Mombasa and asked him to travel to Karen, Nairobi for an urgent discussion.
“On the night before the running mate was picked in 2022, I was in Mombasa when William Ruto called me and asked that we meet in Karen. When I got there, he explained that leaders within the United Democratic Alliance had taken the position that the running mate had to come from both the party and the Mt. Kenya region,” Muturi said.
Why Muturi Was Not Considered
Muturi disclosed that Ruto also explained why he could not be selected for the role, despite earlier conversations suggesting he might be considered.
“He told me the reason he could not pick me was because I belonged to another party, the Democratic Party of Kenya, and I could not join UDA. Because of that, the promise he had earlier made to me could not be fulfilled,” Muturi said.
He added that he accepted the explanation and assured Ruto that he understood the political constraints surrounding the decision.
Debate Over Kindiki
However, Muturi noted that the choice of running mate had not been unanimously settled within the campaign team at the time. The debate largely centred on Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, who had initially received the majority support from members of the campaign team.
Despite that backing, Muturi said Ruto raised concerns about Kindiki’s political influence and grassroots appeal in the Mt. Kenya region.
“He explained that although the majority had initially voted for Kindiki, he felt that Kindiki did not seem to understand politics well enough,” Muturi said.
“He even remarked that people in the Mt. Kenya region were asking whether Kindiki was Maasai because he could hardly speak Kikuyu.”
Political Calculations
Muturi said Ruto ultimately concluded that selecting Kindiki would have weakened the presidential ticket and risked losing critical votes in the politically influential Mt. Kenya region.
“Eventually, he told me he had made up his mind that Rigathi Gachagua would be the running mate because picking Kindiki would have been political suicide. It would have cost us votes,” Muturi said.
He added that the final decision was driven by Gachagua’s strong grassroots networks and his ability to mobilise support across the region.
“At the time, I agreed with that assessment. The logical choice was Rigathi Gachagua because he had the political base and the ability to mobilise votes from the Mt. Kenya region. And indeed, that is exactly what happened—Gachagua delivered the votes,” he explained.
Political Reality Remains
Muturi maintained that the political dynamics in the Mt. Kenya region have largely remained unchanged since the 2022 election.
“And that reality has not changed to date. William Ruto himself knows that Kindiki does not have the kind of political influence in the Mt. Kenya region that can sway the vote,” Muturi concluded.
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