Justina Wamae Drags Mutahi Ngunyi In Fresh Wajackoyah Row

Former Roots Party presidential running mate Justina Wamae has now dragged political scientist Mutahi Ngunyi into the explosive saga with her former party leader, George Wajackoyah which began days before the August 9, 2022, general elections.

In a statement posted early on Sunday, August 13, Wamae claimed that Ngunyi was responsible for boosting Wajackoyah's presidential candidature to disrupt President William Ruto's bid.

She began by explaining that she had initial doubts about Wajackoyah's presidential candidature at first and despite the criticism of her, she boosted his campaigns and even helped with his clearance by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to vie for the country's highest seat.

"I went around the TVs telling people we had a fraud and con and everyone was against me. Let it be known the man was never a project until a few days to the Manifesto launch, Team Justina provided the requirements to be cleared by IEBC. He knows in his heart," she revealed.

Wamae further alleged that Wajackoyah was a project of the state in the 2022 presidential vote, a matter she added that upon her discovery, led to Wajackoyah frustrating her efforts through intimidation and threats, which led to her severing ties with him, a move that led to Ngunyi developing bitterness towards her.

"This revelation explains why he resulted to violence and intimidation thinking I will ask for the little money he got from the state. Since that day till today, I have never spoken to that Rastaman. 

"Kenyans, I refused to be used as a puppet and you saw the pushback. I couldn't do much because I wasn't the owner of the party. The agony I went through till they attempted to assassinate me. That is why Mutahi Ngunyi hated me for ruining his plan," she went on.

Not one to back down, she released another post claiming that Ngunyi left out details of Wajackoyah being paid to cause drama during the 2022 presidential debate, which President Ruto took part in by himself.

"They had paid 'him' to go cause drama during Presidential Candidate Ruto's debate at Catholic university. 

"But the stern warning by the organizers sent chills down 'his' spine akaogopa kama vile aliogopa aliposema (he began fearing just like he did when he said) I don't fear death in Kiambu next minute.... jamaa ako chini ya kiti ya gari (he is hiding below the car seat)," she continued.

Ngunyi on Saturday, August 12 controversially claimed that Azimio la Umoja had provided funding to Wajackoyah's party to coincide the launch of its manifesto with Kenya Kwanza's, with the intention of reducing the hype surrounding the latter.

Wajackoyah's Roots Party would however deny the allegations that the opposition had sponsored his political outfit to undermine President Ruto's State House bid in 2022.

"These remarks are baseless, unfounded and serve as an insult to our party. Roots party is a National party and does not subscribe to tokenism, a field Mutahi Ngunyi holds a PhD in.

"For a man who survives on intellectual harlotry and peddling false political conjectures, it is least worrying that he will use our party to kneel before Mr Ruto. We are aware of Ngunyi's frantic pleasing of the president and refuse to be used as an entry narrative in unholy political matrimony," he said in a strongly-worded statement.

Raila and Azimio were yet to issue any statement regarding the alleged financial assistance extended to the Roots Party by the time of publishing this article.

While not a member of Azimio, Wajackoyah has aligned himself with Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Leader Raila Odinga in opposition to the government following their respective losses in last year's presidential elections.

George Wajackoyah interacts with Raila Odinga at Rarieda in Siaya County on August 13, 2023. /GEORGE WAJACKOYAH