NAIROBI, Kenya – Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has moved to quell reports of growing political tensions in Embu County after holding a private meeting on Wednesday with Governor Cecily Mbarire — just a day after hosting a separate session with local MPs in which she was conspicuously absent.
The back-to-back meetings, held at the DP’s official residence in Karen, Nairobi, come amid swirling speculation of a political fallout between the two leaders, reportedly linked to early jockeying for 2027 succession in the agriculturally rich county.
“Following last evening’s meeting with the Senator and Members of Parliament from Embu County, this morning I met Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire and County Assembly Majority Leader Peter Muriithi,” Kindiki said in a post on X on Wednesday.
He said the discussions centered on progress of national government projects in Embu and strategies to safeguard agricultural value chains such as tea, coffee, macadamia, and muguka.
However, the backstory to the two meetings paints a picture of political strain.
On Tuesday, Kindiki met with several Embu leaders including Senator Alexander Mundigi, Woman Representative Njoki Njeru, and MPs Eric Muchangi (Runyenjes) and Eng. Nebart Muriuki (Mbeere South).
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku — a former Mbeere North MP — was also present.
But Mbarire, who also serves as the UDA national chairperson, was missing from the high-profile session — raising eyebrows about her exclusion from discussions concerning the county’s development.
The following morning’s one-on-one with the governor appeared aimed at damage control, especially after Mbarire publicly accused unnamed senior government officials of undermining her authority.
“These officials who are in government are disrespecting me, and they should stop,” she said during Madaraka Day celebrations at Makima Primary School in Mbeere on June 1. “I will not sit back and watch as backroom political deals are made behind my back.”
Mbarire decried what she called secret “night meetings” being held in Embu without her involvement — a clear sign of emerging political realignments.
Though she stopped short of naming names, her remarks were widely interpreted as a response to a recent comment by CS Ruku, who said, “Those making noise are free to join the opposition.”
The Embu governor has increasingly positioned herself as a key player in Mt. Kenya politics and her apparent fallout with senior officials in the ruling coalition may signal early divisions ahead of the 2027 elections.
While Kindiki’s attempt to bridge the rift may be aimed at preserving unity within UDA ranks, the simmering tensions highlight a growing power struggle within the party’s grassroots in Embu — and potentially the wider Mt. Kenya region.
