Jimi Wanjigi, described as an influential political power broker in Kenya due to his financial muscle, has recently announced his support for Raila Odinga’s threat to call for new street protests to compel President William Ruto to deal with the rising cost of living.
“I support Raila calling for anti-government protests. We are not rats to be trampled on. We seem to have a government that is not listening,” he said at a political gathering in the Mount Kenya region.
Sisi si panya wa kukanyaga, Jimi Wanjigi on high cost of living pic.twitter.com/gRolz1bJQC
— The Standard Digital (@StandardKenya) January 6, 2024
Former presidential aspirant Wanjigi attributed the high cost of living to the rising national debt.
He said in the last year, the debt has risen from KSh8.6trn ($54bn) to KSh11trn, forcing the Ruto regime to increase taxes and introduce the Finance Act to meet its debt obligations. This move has left many Kenyans in financial distress.
“This government will lead us to bankruptcy. That pain will be felt in 2024. Nothing short of a revolution will get us out of this,” he added.
Secret sponsor
Speaking at a different gathering in Mombasa late last year, Wanjigi admitted that he sponsored a court petition filed by Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah to challenge President Ruto’s policies.
On 28 July, the Court of Appeal lifted orders from the High Court that had barred the implementation of the Finance Act until the case filed by Omtatah was heard and determined.
In November 2023, the High Court in Nairobi declared Ruto’s affordable housing levy unconstitutional. However, the court granted stay orders allowing the government to continue deducting employed Kenyans 1.5% from their monthly pay to finance the housing project until 10 January, pending the hearing of an appeal challenging its legality.
However, Ruto described the move as unpatriotic and vowed to disobey court orders stopping key government projects such as the housing levy and the proposed universal health cover deductions.
Wanjigi’s pronouncement on calling out the government comes after Raila, in his New Year’s address, challenged President Ruto to listen to Kenyans’ struggles and bring down the cost of living, asking supporters to prepare for new protests.
“Ruto should reduce his appetite for taxation. We shall soon go back to the streets,” said Wanjigi.
With no signs of succumbing to political pressure from the opposition, Ruto has admitted to having “sleepless nights” over the high cost of living, promising better days in 2024.
Why is Wanjigi coming out now?
Wycliffe Odera, a Kisumu-based political analyst, tells The Africa Report that the show of unity between Wanjigi and Raila shows that in politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies.
“This unity among them is all about political and business interests against the Ruto regime,” Odera says, adding that Wanjigi is joining Raila to show he identifies with the suffering Kenyans.
Odera adds that behind the heavy political curtains, Wanjigi and Raila are mending their past political differences ahead of the 2027 polls and may soon announce a new political outfit.
“Being a powerful power broker, Wanjigi wants to use street protests against Ruto to influence opposition politics,” he adds.
Jostling between parties
Wanjigi, who was once in Raila’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party, fell out with him in the run-up to the 2022 presidential polls, after he sought his presidential ticket.
The businessman was unhappy with ODM’s decision to join hands with the Jubilee party headed by then-president Uhuru Kenyatta to form the Azimio la Umoja alliance.
Wanjigi felt compelled to join Safina Party, which later pledged to support Ruto’s bid after his application to vie for the presidency was rejected by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Earlier, his political influence helped unite Uhuru and Ruto’s political union in the March 4, 2013 polls, but he later jumped ship to also influence the formation of the opposition coalition National Super Alliance (NASA) joining hands with Raila after his fallout with Uhuru in 2015.
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