Prominent Mt Kenya billionaire cum politician, Ephraim Maina, has landed in trouble after he was accused of scuttling William Ruto’s 2022 presidential bid.

Maina, who is also the Nyeri Senator, was accused by a section of Mt Kenya MPs, of plotting to undermine Devolution CS Mwangi Kiunjuri.

The Senator had allegedly approached President Uhuru Kenyatta and asked for Kiunjuri to be sacked from his Cabinet position.

In a joint statement, area MPs have stated that Maina was targeting Kiunjuri due to the fact that he is the senior most politician in the region, and is expected to be Ruto’s running mate in 2022.

“The truth of the matter is that when the dust settles, I can tell you for free that this is all about 2022 succession politics. Everyone looks at the tallest tree in the forest and there is a plan to cut this tree. Let us just wait and see,” the MPs stated during a press briefing at a Nairobi hotel.

The legislators further defended Kiunjuri’s credentials, saying  he was a competent leader who had fiercely guarded the devolution agenda and one who had traversed the country campaigning for Uhuru and his deputy William Ruto.

In his defence, Maina stated that he had not sought to have the Devolution CS fired, but had only castigated Kiunjuri’s habit of defying the president’s orders.

“It is not expected of a Cabinet secretary to be campaigning for a political candidate yet the President had outlawed the same," he explained, further accusing the CS of campaigning for his opponent in the last General Election.

Maina owns Kirinyaga Construction Company, and is one of the wealthiest politicians in the country.