Kenya Kwanza mercenaries have crafted a sinister plan targeting the family of Kisii Governor Simba Arati as part of President William Ruto’s grand scheme of taking over Kisii County, Kurunzi News can exclusively reveal.
Our sources have disclosed a well-orchestrated ploy against the first-time County Chief being worked on by UDA mandarins with a view to weakening Arati in the build-up to the 2027 General Elections and make it easy for their candidate to sail through with the help of State mandarins.
This is because it is understood that President Ruto is very keen on having the full control of Gusii politics and to do so, UDA must have the governorship of Kisii County by all means possible.
Kurunzi News has been reliably informed that since Ruto came into power, State House had made it clear that they wanted Kisii on their side. Arati, being an ODM stalwart, made it difficult for them to lure him to UDA which is the reason why they have now opted to play dirty politics by targeting the Governor’s wife.
Apparently, over the past few months, State House has been trying to get Arati to work with Ruto but the former Dagoretti North MP has maintained his ground and loyalty to his party and its leader Raila Odinga.
“They have really tried to get him to work with the President but Simba, being Simba, has told them off,” said our source.
“And so they have devised this as a way of caging him to submission hoping that he would fall for their plan out of desperation.”
Those privy to the plot have told Kurunzi News that State operatives have designed a Miguna-style assault on Arati’s wife of Asian decent, famously known as Kwamboka, and her Chinese family.
According to the script, Mrs. Arati, perceived to be the force and source of his wealth, will be hounded out of the country for having come to Kenya and settling illegally, while the family business interests will be frustrated and even some of them shut down using State machinery, including Kenya Revenue Authority which would be instructed to send them obscene tax bills.
Governor Arati’s inlaws are known to be big in construction and operate one of the most reputable Chinese construction companies, listed among the top companies that Beijing recommends to partner countries that implement big infrastructure projects.
“I understand that (Governor) Arati is well prepared to deal with this issue using all the possible legal avenues against this evil plan by the (President) Ruto mercenaries,” another source privy to the plot told Kurunzi News.
“He has been told about all this plot because the guys behind it are very uncanny and they are very daring when they send those warnings so they must have told him on his face that he either plays to their game or they fix him.”
Kurunzi News can confirm that, according to State House, South Mugirango legislator Sylvanus Osoro, who is the UDA whip in the National Assembly is the preferred Gubernatorial candidate to unseat Arati in 2027, which explains the bad blood that has recently been witnessed in public events.
However, another twist to this UDA scheme to take over Kisii County is muddied by the ambitions of other MPs, some from ODM but who have a working pact with (President) Ruto, including Daniel Manduku (Nyaribari Chache).
Manduku, the former Managing Director of Kenya Ports Authority, has his sights on the governorship and being a close ally of Ruto’s means he may be eyeing the position in 2027 and therefore meddling things up by seeking State House approval ahead of Osoro.
Osoro is jittery that Ruto men may prefer Manduku because of his ability to give financial support to the presidential campaign in terms of funding campaigns in Kisii and Nyamira counties come 2027. Manduku is believed to have deep pockets which Osoro cannot match and he fears that he might be sidelined from the UDA arrangement for the gubernatorial contest come 2027.
Ruto loyalists, however, feel the two could end up working together on a joint-ticket but Osoro is skeptical because the best this arrangement would give him is a running-mate position, which he considers less influential and subordinate.
“Osoro has tasted power as a chief whip and he would not want to give up that, which is what the Ruto camp is uncertain about when it comes to having the two balance their ambitions,” explains the source.
“He (Osoro) believes he sacrificed a lot for (President) Ruto and he should be the one to lead the UDA ticket come 2027 but the money factor edges him out.”
Kurunzi News is reliably informed that Osoro has been using his proximity to (President) Ruto to frustrate efforts by any member of the Gusii community to be appointed if they are not known to him in person.
“The President is under the blackmail of Osoro and even people he wants to appoint for any position are being dropped if Osoro does not know them,” a source at State House told Kurunzi News.
“He has his informers around the presidency so whenever names are being floated he will cause mayhem and even dare the president to appoint anyone they don’t know at his political price.”
While it is uncertain how the scheme will pan out and who will take on Arati on a UDA ticket in 2027, the one sure thing is that the incumbent Governor has everything it takes to put up a fight against the State machinery and it is only a matter of time before this scheme becomes more vicious than the fights that have already been witnessed in Gusii politics.
“The worst is yet to come and Kisii politics will get very nasty because (President) Ruto wants to get his man as Governor by all means.”
