Mungiki leader joins Ruto’s UDA

• Dec 9, 2021

Former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga (pictured above) is the latest politician to join Deputy President William Ruto-led United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party.

Njenga was a Jubilee Party member before defecting to KANU and later joined UDA on Tuesday, December 6, during Ruto’s tour in Laikipia County. “Mtanipatia Senator ambaye anajua mambo ya bottom up? Kwa hivyo Maina Njenga akuje UDA ama afanye nini (you will give us a senator who knows about bottom up? How many are ready to welcome Maina Njenga to UDA,” Ruto asked the audience.

Njenga announced his defection to KANU on Wednesday, March 22, 2017, and he was welcomed to the party by the party chair Gideon Moi at the party’s headquarters in Nairobi.

 “We are here to welcome Njenga to a party of peace and love, and to give him the KANU flag that he will fly in Laikipia,” Gideon said.

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s party officials reportedly rejected Njenga’s nomination papers owing to his dirty past.

A few days earlier, Laikipia woman representative Cate Waruguru also joined Ruto’s UDA.

 Waruguru will vie for Laikipia East parliamentary seat on the UDA ticket.

 Speaking in Tigithi ward during a meet-the-people tour, Waruguru said that she now believes in the ideologies of UDA a party.

Meanwhile, Garissa Township Member of Parliament Aden Duale has chastised Njenga over rounds of booing witnessed during Ruto's of Laikipia.  

Speaking during an interview with NTV on Tuesday night, Duale told off Njenga saying that his United Democratic  Alliance (UDA) Party would not want any association with a person such as Njenga who instigates violence.

“Maina Njenga and his militia Mungiki have no place in the legislature, they have no place in the politics and I want to see how the security agencies will deal with him after how he conducted himself today,” Duale said.

The legislator went further to declare Njenga’s actions as witnessed during Deputy President William Ruto’s UDA tour in Laikipia County unlawful and which should be addressed as a security concern.

 “Today is a very sad day; the Ministry for Interior must deal with Mungiki. Mungiki cannot be a player in our political arena,” Duale said while urging security agencies to take action against Maina Njenga.

Citing circumstances in which Njenga was denied major parties candidature over security concerns, the lawmaker sternly deemed Njenga unfit for a political leader.

“I remember Maina Njenga was denied a ticket by President Kenyatta for in 2002 to run on KANU, he denied him a ticket of TNA on 2013, and even told us URP don’t give him a ticket. In 2017, he denied him a Jubilee ticket,” MP Duale stated.