'Raila will get 60 per cent of Mt. Kenya votes,' ex-Mungiki leader Maina Njenga says

Former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga has dismissed sceptics alleging that ODM leader Raila Odinga has failed to woo the Mount Kenya region in his quest for votes ahead of the August polls.

According to Njenga, Odinga has firmly rooted his political ideologies in Mt. Kenya, which he says have resonated well with the residents.

Njenga now confidently says that the former premier will garner 60 per cent of votes in the region in his bid for the presidency come the General Elections.

“Tinga will get over 60 per cent. He can climb the mountain and he will be very successful. When others climb it with wheelbarrows, he will be climbing it with a tractor. A tractor is a machine that goes on itself, but a wheelbarrow uses human strength,” Njenga told the Nation newspaper.

Despite claims that Deputy President William Ruto has already morphed the Mt. Kenya region into his own backyard and that Odinga’s ripe age of 77 years will limit him from carrying out presidential duties effectively, Njenga underscored that the ODM leader is the best candidate to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta whos term is coming to an end.

“Initially, Ruto used to go round without any competitor, but now, Baba has emerged and he is moving round,” said Njenga.

“He understands all parts of Kenya and people know Baba. The youth understand him and we know he can do this job because he fought for what Kenya has today.”

The ex-Mungiki sect boss likewise downplayed DP Ruto’s recent union with ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi and his Ford-Kenya counterpart Moses Wetangula, citing that their addition to the Kenya Kwanza Alliance will not affect Odinga’s prospects of amassing votes in the Western Kenya region.

According to Njenga, a power wrangle might soon erupt in DP Ruto’s camp owing to the fact that the UDA chief has yet to settle on a running mate despite publicly hinting that a number of his allies are qualified enough to deputize his bid for the presidency.

“There will be a lot of fights in UDA because when Musalia was told to go and join UDA, he was promised the running mate post. Ruto has also told Rigathi Gachagua that he is going to be the running mate,” he said.

“Anne Waiguru, Martha Karua and Mwangi Kiunjuri are all lining up for the same. When Kenyans will realise the lies by these people, more troops will run away from them and they will be left in the wilderness alone.”

Njenga correspondingly proceeded to castigate some of the economical ideologies and campaign strategies, such as giving handouts, being mooted by Odinga’s rivals in a toned-down attack on the DP.

“There is confusion amongst the youth because of the policies being sold to them. Those who call themselves hustlers come to meetings using choppers,” he said.

“There are people who come here and promise to leave some millions, but later, locals realise nothing was left behind. It is an era of confusion and this must end.”

While reiterating that he would be contesting for Laikipia County’s senatorial seat at the polls, the ex-Mungiki leader turned preacher, who has survived multiple attempts on his life, explained why his 2017 bid for the aforementioned position, under a Jubilee ticket, was unsuccessful.

“When I went for my ticket, I was directed to the boss to give me his signature. I was also told I must go and see DP Ruto so that I get my certificate, but he denied me the certificate,” he explained.

“I went back to KANU. I met with Hon. Gideon Moi, met with Nick Salat and got a ticket to vie for the Senate seat.”

Njenga lives a secluded life often changing phones and locations periodically as a result of the attempts on his life.