Kiunjuri blasts party hoppers ahead of 2027 polls

Former Cabinet Secretary and The Service Party (TSP) leader Mwangi Kiunjuri has criticised politicians defecting to new parties ahead of the 2027 General Election, saying voters will judge leaders by their track record rather than party affiliation.

Speaking at a public rally, the Laikipia East MP said some politicians in the Mt Kenya region were leaving the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) on the assumption that joining new political outfits would improve their chances of securing re-election.

“I know the people of Mt Kenya, I know you people of Salama Ward will elect a leader based on their track record,” Kiunjuri said.

He questioned the rationale of leaders leaving the government for opposition parties while continuing to expect the same administration to deliver development projects in their constituencies.

“If I have left the government, how will you send me to the government to deliver for you? Some people are very scared,” he said.

Kiunjuri cited development projects he said he had facilitated while serving in government, including connecting 187 more households to the electricity grid, fencing a wildlife conservation area to prevent elephants from straying into farms and constructing roads.

He said his ability to deliver the projects was linked to his position in government.

“If I get out of government, who will you send?” he posed.

Kiunjuri challenged elected leaders who had failed to deliver while in office, warning them against assuming that changing parties would improve their political fortunes.

“If you have been unable to work while in government and you are an MP or a governor or senator, don't think these people don't know you, don't think if you are a non-performer you will be baptised and sanitised if you run to DCP,” he said.

He urged voters in Mt Kenya and across the country to hold leaders accountable for their performance regardless of the political parties they join.

I want to ask you people of the Mountain and Kenyans, if a leader defects from their party and they failed to deliver, chase them when they come to you, chase them,” he said.

At the same event, Energy Principal Secretary Alex Wachira urged leaders from Mt Kenya to adopt what he described as a long-term approach to politics, arguing that the region's interests would be better served by maintaining a strong presence in government.

Wachira said the region currently had seven Cabinet-level positions in addition to the Deputy President's office.

“Sixteen PSs in critical dockets come from the Mountain. We are here on development projects, let's look at leaders based on their development records,” he said.

Kiunjuri's remarks come against the backdrop of political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections, with several leaders from Mt Kenya and other regions changing their political affiliations.

Among the notable developments has been the decision by Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro to leave UDA.

Nyoro announced on Monday that he had left the ruling party and was officially aligned with the People's Party of Kenya (PPK).

Murang'a Governor Irungu Kang'ata has also shifted allegience from UDA to the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), while Nyandarua Governor Kiarie Badilisha joined DCP in July and said he would seek re-election on the party's ticket in 2027.

The political shifts have intensified following the DCP's victory in the July Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, which has been cited by party leaders as a sign of changing political dynamics in parts of Mt Kenya.