Kimani Ngunjiri Apologises To Uhuru Kenyatta, Backs Rigathi Gachagua's Call For Mt Kenya Unity

• Kimani Ngunjiri implied that the unity of Mt Kenya will materialise if all the players that matter shelve their political leanings
• That is why he sought to make up with former president Uhuru Kenyatta, whom UDA loyalists demonised far and wide in the heat of the 2022 vote
• Ngunjiri, a known loyalist of President William Ruto, recently resigned from the UDA party citing maladministration

Kai Eli, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Former Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri has joined the faction within the larger Kenya Kwanza coalition that seeks to make up with former president Uhuru Kenyatta.

The loyalists of President William Ruto, Ngunjiri included, never minced their wordings against Uhuru in the heat of the 2022 elections.

Why Kimani Ngunjiri wants peace with Uhuru

They joined forces to harshly criticise the former president's tenure, which they accused of denting the country's socio-economic posture at the time.

Now two years into the vote, Ngunjiri wants peace with the former head of state.

While admitting to rifts in the ruling coalition, the former lawmaker observed that his team erred in fighting Uhuru.

He, however, blamed it on politics.

"It was in the politics moments that people were tearing into each other. But after that people should reconcile. And that is why I am saying that if I did any wrong to the former president., let him forgive me, I also forgive him if he wronged me," said Ngunjiri.

Gachagua's sudden soft spot for Uhuru

The deputy president made overtures to the former president on Tuesday, May 21, while addressing residents of Kianyaga town, Kirinyaga county.

As he extended his invitation to Uhuru, Gachagua noted the importance of all the leaders from the region coming together at this point, regardless of their political affiliations.

By virtue of Uhuru being a Mt Kenya native, Gachagua implied that the time was ripe for him to come on board to help in charting the region's political course.

The deputy president had earlier vowed not to fight his fellow Mt Kenya natives, while observing that political unrest was simmering in the region. He claimed external forces were the ones sowing discord among Mt. Kenya voters.

Uhuru has been unreactive to the events even as his lieutenants in Mt Kenya regroup.

Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke