Details have emerged of a meeting held on Thursday in which a plot to tame rebel team tanga tanga allied to Deputy President William Ruto was hatched just a few hours before DP Ruto's mega rally in Murang'a was cancelled.
Details of Thursday meeting to tame team tanga tanga hours before DP Ruto’s rally was cancelled
Jubilee cracks the whip on defient MPs allied to DP Ruto
File image Ndindi Nyoro (Second Left) sharing a meal with Kimani Ichungwah (R) Sabina Chege and DP William Ruto
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A well-placed source who spoke to Nation revealed that during the meeting, government operatives agreed to crack the whip on rebel legislators who have openly defied President Uhuru Kenyatta’s directive to halt early campaigns.
The source who requested anonymity revealed that part of the plan to tame the defiant legislators is kicking them out of influential committees in both the Senate and the National Assembly and reducing them to mere MPs without much influence.
Reports indicate that among those targeted are Murang'a Senator Irungu Kang'ata, Woman Representative Wanjiru Chege and Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung'wa.
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Kimani Ichungwah with Sabina Chege at a past press briefing
Pulse Live Kenya
Mega rally cancelled, opponents appointed to top state jobs
The publication further quoted sources privy to the details stating that the recent appointment of politicians who lost in 2017 general election is part of the wider scheme to cut the growing influence of team tangatanga.
In a familiar script, a number of MPs supporting DP Ruto’s 2022 bid had their opponents who lost in the 2017 elections appointed to influential state jobs to allegedly to cut the influence of the team Tanga Tanga MPs and causing panic among the MPs.
Most affected is Muranga where team Tanga tanga MPsbacking DP Ruto had their opponents appointed to top state jobs while those behind the team Kieleweke in support of the handshake were not affected.
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In Kiharu, Ndindi Nyoro’s fierce rival, Karanja Mburu was appointed to head Lapsset while Elias Mbau, who lost to Mary Waithira, was appointed to head NEPPAD.
Joshua Toro, who lost to Alice Wahome, was appointed to head the National Irrigation Board.
The meeting was barely a day before a mega rally by DP Ruto in Muranga was cancelled at the last minute for the second time.
File image of DP William Ruto addressing the public at a past political rally
Pulse Live Kenya
Multiple sources confirmed that the rally which was intended to be a show of might and public support for the DP in the Mount Kenya region was cancelled after intervention from President Uhuru Kenyatta. An MP who was extensively involved in planning the meeting was quoted anonymously stating that “The President called off the meeting. There was panic within Government over the large number of leaders going for the prayer meeting. The president was in catch-22 and asked the DP to call off the meeting”.
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