Kisii deputy governor Joash Maangi who had been UDA point man in Gusii region has come out to explain why he was left with no option but to dump William Ruto.
Maangi publicly came out as Raila Odinga supporter on December 10th when he attended Azimio la Umoja mega rally at Kasarani stadium.
The Kisii DG had been cleverly avoiding Ruto’s meetings in Gusii, excusing himself that he was engaged in official duties as Kisii Governor James Ongwae’s deputy. They were jointly elected on an ODM ticket.
“I did not ever leave ODM. I’ve always been a member of ODM,” Joash Maangi said after attending Azimio la Umoja mega rally in Kasarani.
His defection dealt Ruto a major political blow which forced his hustle/tangatanga camp to go back to the drawing board.
Being the most senior leader from Gusii in the Ruto camp, Maangi was an asset to the second-in-command in the last three years of their political courtship. His departure leaves the DP in an awkward position.
In his place, UDA hopes to steer forward its ship through the leadership of the party’s National Treasurer Omingo Magara, who, just like Maangi, is eyeing the Kisii governorship.
Critics, however, say Magara does not hold any elective seat, and this makes it hard for him to sell the party to the electorates in Kisii.
Accompanying Siaya Senator James Orengo and other ODM leaders in Siaya county during a funeral, Joash Maangi vowed to mobilize the entire Gusii voters to back Raila Odinga in the forthcoming 2022 presidential election.
He said the discord in Gusii (Kisii and Nyamira counties) was from him and he has since begun preaching the ODM gospel in the two counties.
The Kisii DG further explained that he decided to dump Ruto because other regions were organizing themselves to vote as a block and as such he felt Nyanza region should also vote as a block for their own – Raila.
“Ule rafiki wangu kule Migori anaitwa Obado, sisi ndo tulikua tunaleta hatari kidogo. Lakini huku Kisii mimi na governor James Ongwae tukakaa chini tukajiuliza hapa mtu wetu hapa Nyanza watu wengine ukiangalia they are organizing themselves to vote as a block to protect their own. Sasa sisi kama watu wa Nyanza why can’t we also protect our own. And our own is none other than Raila Amolo Odinga,” Maangi said.
Kisii DG Joash Maangi ditches UDA for Raila's camp.#TV47News @MuthoniQ pic.twitter.com/28OEG9NbTE
— TV47 Kenya (@tv47ke) December 17, 2021
Related: Ruto Mad After His Ally Joash Maangi Attends Raila Odinga’s Azimio Event At Kasarani
