Nyutu: Why Ndindi should replace Gachagua in the next election

Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu raised a political storm by his push that Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro be recognised as the Mt Kenya kingpin, a role perceived to be Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s, given he is the highest ranking political leader in the region.

He spoke to Barack Oduor on why he thinks Nyoro should succeed Gachagua as President William Ruto’s deputy come 2027.

Q:  Have you endorsed Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro to lead Mt Kenya region as its kingpin and to seek the country’s topmost leadership when President William Ruto’s term ends?

A: What I said is Ndindi Nyoro has proved to be an exemplary leader. What he has been doing in his constituency and the way he has been running the Budget and Appropriations Committee in Parliament is exemplary. We are saying let the people decide in Mt  Kenya region who will carry the flag of the running mate to the president. We do not want the president to face resistance in the region in his re-election bid in the next election and the best way will be to come with the most popular candidate as a running mate. I have reasons to believe Ndindi is very popular.

Why do you believe Nyoro is fit to lead Mt Kenya region?

His respect and regard for people and other leaders make him a person who can lead this country. What is happening in Kiharu can be a good thing if it can be cascaded to the whole country. We, therefore, say this is a leader we can support for nominations for the office of the Deputy President in 2027 because UDA is a democratic party. It is a democratic space and let everyone throw their hats in the ring and let the best win so that the president will be sure this is the choice of Mt Kenya. Let UDA open the seat of the running mate for nominations.

Do you believe DP Rigathi Gachagua’s position as the second in command automatically makes him the region’s foremost leader?

No. This is because President William Ruto himself will be seeking a fresh mandate in 2027. My view is that Gachagua should also seek a fresh mandate as deputy president and not be nominated by the president.

You have been quoted as saying ‘positions do not win one direct endorsement since there are considerations to winning unanimous acceptability’. What do you mean?

For instance, in the case of the DP, the fact that he was nominated as running mate by the president does not mean he was the people’s choice. You know it is one thing to be appointed or nominated and a different thing to be elected through universal suffrage. We respect his position but that does not mean Mt Kenya identify with his position and regard him as their kingpin. We need the voice of the people and there is no better way of getting that than holding a nomination.

Mathira MP Eric Wamumbi gathered some lawmakers allied to Gachagua at Karatina Stadium last week and affirmed their support for him as Mt Kenya region’s leader. Your take?

I agree with them in the fact that Mt Kenya is not politically divided in any way and nobody is disputing the fact that the DP is the top most leader from the region now, but that goes up to 2027. Even the president will seek a fresh mandate and so let his deputy prove himself in 2027 through a nomination. If UDA members agree that he is the most popular, then we will agree with that but I believe there are other leaders more popular than him.

East African Legislative Assembly MP Kanini Kega said there could be someone behind Nyoro and a group of his allies pushing for his kingpinship. Is there someone supporting your cause?

What I may ask leaders who are accusing us of getting backing from elsewhere in our cause is; are they afraid of a nomination? If they are confident Gachagua would win the nomination, then why would they be defensive? This only shows the DP has no full command of the region.

Do you think your agitation risks dividing Mt Kenya voting bloc?

On the contrary, my action will unite the mountain. This is because when Gachagua was nominated as running mate to Ruto, there were very many people who felt shortchanged, but if we go through a nomination process, the one who wins will be supported by all the blocs because he or she will have merited that support and so there is no division that can come out of this.

What is your view about the Kamwene Initiative championed by Narc Kenya party leader Martha Karua and former Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni?

Everybody has a right to freedom of expression. I am not dismissive of any leader because they have their pursuit. For me I am solidly in UDA and will still support Ruto in the next election. Why? I do not want him to bring someone who can make his re-election difficult.

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s latest actions have shown signs he could not be leaving the political scene soon. What implications will this have on Mt Kenya politics?

It is his democratic right to campaign for whoever he wants. During the last elections, he campaigned for Raila Odinga but he did not succeed. He has people who admire him and follow him but they are not in the majority.

Mt Kenya residents depend on agriculture as their main economic activity. One of their basis for voting Kenya Kenya Kwanza government was to revive the deteriorating prices of coffee, tea, milk and macadamia. Do you think there has been any change in this sector since the election?

The Deputy President has really tried in this area. He has called for agricultural sector reforms in Meru and Kericho counties. As we speak, the Cherry Fund has become a reality although we still want the Sh80 to be paid in full and not Sh40. Gachagua has done well on this but there is always room for improvement. I do not think we have succeeded in kicking out cartels in the sector.

What makes it difficult to kick cartels out as Ruto promised now that he is in leadership?

Sometimes these cartels are amorphous. You may not identify exactly who they are. You know the law does not block anybody from being all those things and this finally turns into a cartel. The other thing is also the amounts of money involved, if we are buying coffee at the stock exchange, where you will not get someone who wants to buy two bags of coffee, it becomes a market that requires serious market to get into and this is what affects grassroot farmers because the only buyers are those ones. I think we can execute some reforms like opening the Coffee Exchange where those people who want to buy small quantities of coffee can come and buy. I think we can also give farmers a bigger say about their produce because currently if a farmer surrenders them to the factory then they have no control because whatever happens at the factory level is too long.