Former United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party chairman Johnson Muthama has called for unity discussions with the Wiper party, but young Ukambani leaders affiliated with the Kenya Kwanza coalition have rejected the offer.
On Friday, Mr. Muthama advocated holding bipartisan political conversations with Ukambani region leaders to examine the community's engagement in President William Ruto's administration and its future.
The former Machakos senator and Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka accused President Ruto of marginalising the Kamba community by awarding them minor jobs in his cabinet.
"The Kamba people have been maligned. I founded the UDA party, which went on to win elections and form the government, but there isn't a single Kamba where the national cake is shared," Mr Muthama said at the burial of former Cabinet Minister Joseph Konzollo Munyao's wife in Mbooni, Makueni County, attended by Mr Musyoka and several Wiper leaders.
Mr. Muthama's vow that he will unite the Kamba community around a separate political course, away from Kenya Kwanza, has sparked outrage among President Ruto's regional friends.
They accused Muthama and Musyoka of deceiving the Kamba community into believing they had been excluded from the Kenya Kwanza government for selfish political motives.
In separate interviews with Nation.Africa, the young leaders stated that Mr. Musyoka and Mr. Muthama do not need to hold top posts for the Kamba community to feel fully represented in government.
They emphasised that Kenya is a democracy, and individuals who hold prominent governmental positions are legitimate representatives of the community. These leaders, they stated, will ensure that the region's social and economic goals are realised.
The Cabinet Secretary noted that individuals seeking political importance by offering to organise a caucus of leaders in the Ukambani region were driven by greed.
Mr. Muthama's call for unity comes just three days after President Ruto pledged to teach young leaders, including Mr. Kawaya, to prepare them for future leadership positions.
Speaking in Meru on Thursday, the President indicated that he had purposefully given young MPs substantial roles in handling the country's affairs to assist them obtain leadership experience.