The war of words among a section of Mount Kenya leaders over calls by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to unify the region intensified over the weekend.
Speaking at Mary Immaculate Primary School in Nanyuki during a fundraising ceremony, Laikipia East Member of Parliament Mwangi Kiunjuri expressed support for the Kenya Kwanza administration’s development commitments.
However, he criticized the Deputy President, arguing that if Gachagua wanted to push for the one-man, one-vote, one-shilling campaign, he should use proper channels, such as Parliament, rather than branding him a ‘traitor.’
“I have heard people call us collaborators, betrayers, and traitors. Where there is a traitor, there is a master. If you call me a traitor, a traitor for who? It’s me who started the one-man, one-vote, one-shilling initiative. This can only happen through a referendum or in the National Assembly and not in the streets,” said Kiunjuri.
The lawmaker asserted that the Mt. Kenya region was well-represented in government and added that criticizing the Kenya Kwanza administration with claims of regional sidelining was divisive rather than unifying.
“You can’t be allowed to whip the emotions of our people for your own personal interest. Some people are trying to blackmail this government, including demanding money from the President. If you have a problem, tell us, since disunity can only be caused by something,” Kiunjuri posed.
In response, Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga said the mountain had no apologies to make and should be included in the national development agenda without facing accusations of tribalism.
“As the Mt. Kenya region, we voted with about three million votes, so no one should count for us those who have positions in government because it’s not enough. All we want is equality,” said Kahiga, insisting that this is what Mt. Kenya leaders were pushing for.
Kahiga also dismissed claims that President William Ruto was working alone, reiterating that all developments in the Mt. Kenya region were joint initiatives between the Head of State and his deputy, thus calling for unity among all leaders irrespective of their position.
“The government is for both Dr Ruto and Gachagua, and let it be known that all development in the Mt. Kenya region involves the Deputy President,” Kahiga said.
Former Laikipia Woman Representative Catherine Waruguru asked the President to keep his word to work with his deputy and said the mountain should not be criticized for supporting one of their own, claiming that the second-in-command contributed to Dr Ruto clinching the top seat in the country.
“We are asking the President and his friends to remember that they swore to bring development, not to subject the Deputy President to the same challenges he underwent in the former regime,” Waruguru said.
Waruguru added that nobody should be intimidated for their political stand and urged the church to hold all leaders accountable.
“I am pleading with the church to hold our leaders accountable. Nobody is above the law. If there is a problem, it should be solved for the sake of our country,” she said.
