President William Ruto appears to be making inroads in Nyeri County, the home turf of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, through substantial donations to churches.

Ruto has entrusted Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga with delivering his contributions at various church fundraisers in the region while rallying support for the Kenya Kwanza government.

On Tuesday evening, Wamatinga visited Blessed Church of Christ Fellowship in Nyeri town, where he delivered Dr Ruto’s donation of Sh500,000 to Apostle Joseph Murimi, whose father, Mzee Wanjohi Murimi, had passed away.

“I talked to a friend called President William Ruto and informed him that I was heading to meet Apostle Murimi. He told me to come here and greet you,” Wamatinga said.

“He gave me Sh500,000 to bring it to you as his contribution. My work is to go out there, look for friends who in turn help us,” he added.

Prioritise unity

Wamatinga was accompanied by Nyeri Town MP Duncan Mathenge during the visit.

Earlier, on Sunday, Wamatinga attended a service at the African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (AIPCA) in Kirai, Othaya, where he delivered Ruto’s Sh1 million donation to Bishop Kariuki Muriithi.

The senator pledged his unwavering support for President Ruto and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki while urging leaders from Mt Kenya to set aside tribal politics and embrace national unity.

“We support leaders who prioritise unity and development over divisive tribal politics. I will continue working with the current deputy president to serve all Kenyans equally because this country belongs to all of us,” Wamatinga said then.

Wamatinga’s newfound prominence in Nyeri politics coincides with his recent appointment to the influential Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC), replacing Laikipia Senator John Kinyua, an ally of the former DP.

Meanwhile, Nyeri Town MP Duncan Mathenge sought to assure his constituents of his commitment to honest leadership despite criticism from some residents over his support for Gachagua’s impeachment.

“We have a lot of accusations flying left, right and centre. But I promised you, my people from Nyeri, that I will be honest in my leadership. I have lived up to that promise,” Mathenge said.

Mathenge also reflected on the difficulty of discerning genuine leadership.

“I wish God had his own way of revealing to us the type of hearts that people have so we could know whether they are clean or not. I am asking him to reveal to us leaders who have the purity of heart,” he said.

Wamatinga echoed this sentiment, calling for continued prayers from the church.

“I want to humbly request you (the Church) to continue praying for us. My colleague Mathenge has clearly said that we wish we had a mirror to see the hearts of people and identify those with clean ones. I am asking God to teach me to remain silent no matter the situation I face in life, either good or bad. I am also asking God to light up my path when it becomes dark,” Wamatinga said.

As the political landscape in Nyeri evolves, Dr Ruto’s strategic overtures and the roles of his allies, like Wamatinga and Mathenge, appear to be reshaping allegiances in the region.