Security agencies are on high alert in Oloosirkon Sholinke Ward, Kajiado County after it leaked that a group of Maasai morans from Ilkaputie intend to disrupt a political meeting organised to endorse Kajiado North MP Joseph Manje as the Deputy Governor of former Governor Dr David Nkedienye in the 2022 polls.
A classified security source in Isinya said it was aware of the meeting of the morans at two locations where a decision was made on Thursday night that the Nkedienye – Manje meeting be disrupted.
They claim Dr Nkedienye was on a mission to sell off the Maasai community’s ownership of the County in his desperate bid to recapture the seat he lost in 2017.
The meeting at Dr Nkedianye’s Oloshaiki Farm near Kitengela Town has been advertised as a re-union between the former Governor and MP Manje whose Kikuyu community SENT Nkedienye home after they backed the incumbent Joseph Ole Lenku of Jubilee in 2017.
The morans from Kaputiei and another cross section from the neighbouring Keekonyokie Ward are said to have the blessing of elders from both Iseuri and Ilkitoip Age sets who are opposed to Dr Nkedienye’s Plan to have a non Maasai as running mate.
They are also opposed to the MP’s demand for half the Government from Dr Nkedienye If they win in 2022.
” We are going there tomorrow (Nkedienye’s home). We shall be on a mission..He will not be allowed to sell us off. We know what happened in Kiambu where the Deputy Governor during the elections is now Governor. We are resisting this attempt fully,” said Joshua Mpoyo,one of the youth.
The elders made a complaint to the
County Security Committee chaired by County Commissioner Joshua Nkanatha on Thursday morning and said the trading off of the deputy Governor position and senior positions to non Maasai had started to create tension among communities.
Manje has maintained the deal with Nkedienye must be equal to the support he will give.
” Yes , the elders made the complaint and the meeting will be monitored..If tension goes high before tomorrow, It will have to be stopped.We are very keen on maintaining peace. Since 2013, There is a quiet agreement that non locals should keep off big positions at County and MP levels,” said a senior police officer in Mr Nkanatha’s office.
The senior officer seems to be referring to a 2013 declaration by President Kenyatta then a Jubilee Presidential aspirant who locked out members of his community from running on the TNA ticket.
At the time, Obadiah Kimani who was supposed to compete with Tarayia Ole Kores for TNA ticket was forced to run for Governorship on a Party of Action ( POA) ticket; And lost badly despite a well oiled campaign.
At the time,Uhuru said,” Let us respect the host communities and not run for County and MP positions. We have reserved Kajiado North to other communities but no other Constituency.”
Apart from Obadiah, the statement was used to deny Solomon Kinyanjui and George King’ori TNA tickets to vie for Kajiado North and Kajiado East parliamentary seats.
However, MP Manje has BOLDLY defied President Kenyatta’s advice of 2013 and nothing seems will stop him from ascending to the top position.
According to Manje’s think tank, the MP will be demanding the running mate position ; 50 % of the Cabinet positions; And the Speaker of the Assembly.
In return, Manje will officially join ODM and campaign for Dr Nkedienye to recapture the seat he lost in 2017.