Murang'a — The Service Party (TSP) leader Mwangi Kiunjuri has urged Mt Kenya leaders to maintain their political parties and use them as bargaining tools in the next government.
Kiunjuri cautioned leaders saying the parties will be the only weapon left for the leaders to bargain for the interests of their people after this year's general election.
Speaking in Kangema, Murang'a County, Kiunjuri observed that it will be unlikely for any of the major parties to garner the required majority in Parliament.
"I don't think there is a party which will manage to get over 100 members of parliament and our parties will come in handy to save the situation," he said,
Kiunjuri noted that after the August 9 election, the instruments of power shall be handed over to someone who is not a native to the area and the local leaders need to be prepared to negotiate for the interests of the region.
For the first time in Kenya's histoty, the vote-rich region does not have a presidential candidate, even though two of them picked their running mates from the region.
Azimio La Umoja One Kenya candidate Raila Odinga picked Martha Karua while his main competitor Deputy President William Ruto settled on Mathira Member of Parliament Rigathi Gachagua.
"We should not give away all our weapons, if we give out an arrow, we keep the shield and vice versa so that we have something to bargain with," Kiunjuri stated,
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The former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary has dismissed efforts by the larger parties to dissolve and merge all the 'small parties' terming this move as political suicide.
"We have been here before in 2017 when we were told to fold our parties to join Jubilee but soon after things became messy leading to a fallout," he said.
"We cannot make the same mistake again and I am urging other leaders from the region to stay put and not to be convinced by anybody to dissolve their parties," Kiunjuri added.
The party leader also expressed dissatisfaction with the current zoning of the parties under the Kenya Kwanza coalition saying the smaller outfits are being undercut.
"These big parties undermining us should know they will need us soon so that we can boost their numbers and thus they should accord us respect," he said.
Kiunjuri also established that he has not given up on his ambition to become the president of this country saying he will be patient enough until his time comes.
Comparing himself to President Mwai Kibaki, he said he is still young, and he could wait even for up to five more elections before he attains the age at which Kibaki was elected president.
He further defended his move to vie for the Laikipia East parliamentary seat saying he is still on course, and it is not a political setback. - Kna
