Former Bahati Member of Parliament (MP) Onesmus Kimani Ngunjiri has declared himself a political convert from the politics of tribal rhetoric, citing his experience with the negative impact of the vice.
The politician made the statement on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, during an interview on the state of the country’s political landscape.
During the interview, Kimani attributed the polarizing nature witnessed among Kenyans to the narrative peddled by the top leadership of the political class.
“I have been converted now politically since December,” Kimani said.
“I have lived through the effects of these divisions as a politician from the Rift Valley. We suffered a lot in 2007 from the mistakes of politicians intent on maintaining their political relevance,” he added.
The former UDA-allied politician has further warned of the danger of seeing the trend spiraling out of control if caution is not taken.
“I feel that we are getting more divided in a bad way as time goes on, thanks to the interest of the politicians. They are the ones who bring about these divisions. They might be few, but the practice is not healthy at all,” he stated.
Ngunjiri also waded into his relationship with President William Ruto and his former Deputy Rigathi Gachagua, citing his willingness to offer them needful advice if called upon.
“It is not that I have left Gachagua, but let him do his politics because there are some things that I disagree with him on. When he says that this party is for Mlima, that’s profiling Kikuyus in one basket. I would not like to be in that deal,” he added.
“I cannot abuse the president, and I cannot abuse Gachagua, but I can correct anything they are doing wrong as an elder,” he continued.
Kimani’s sentiment comes after he urged Ruto to reach out to his political nemesis in a past interview.
Speaking on March 5, 2025, Ngunjiri implored Ruto to adopt a consultative approach to addressing the current issues bedeviling his Kenya Kwanza government.
“My message to the president is to reach out to the elders and bring them close. They can connect you to another level. You need the former presidents; you need the likes of Kalonzo and Gachagua. The beef you might have with them does not concern us. We want peace and development in the county,” he said.