The political rift in the Mount Kenya region pitting allies of President William Ruto and those of his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua seems to be widening after a section of leaders accused the latter of hatching a scheme to cause rifts in the Kenya Kwanza government.
Led by Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri, the group also accused Gachagua of plotting to isolate his community from the rest of Kenya ahead of the 2027 elections.
The development comes even as Gachagua and former Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria appear to have turned strange bedfellows as they shared a platform to call for unity of the Mountain region.
Kuria who previously spared no moment to throw jibes at the former Mathira MP, often rubbishing his claim for political kingpinship of the region, now appears to be reading from the same script with his nemesis.
The two shared a platform in Kiambu County on Tuesday where they rooted for unity of purpose in the restive Mt Kenya region in the wake of sharp political divisions among leaders.
The DP who has been in the center of political battles with a section of Members of Parliament led more than 20 legislators from the Mountain region and other leaders in calling for a truce and end to political wrangling.
The leaders who included all the Senators from Central Kenya vowed to rally behind Gachagua in pushing for the interests of people from the region including completion of stalled roads, markets for agricultural produce among other economic developments.
They spoke during a joint burial service for Kiambu Senator Karungo Thangw’a’s brother Martean Wainaina and sister-in-law Peninnah Wanjiru at Mitahato village of Githunguri constituency.
“I agree with the call for unity of Mt Kenya, but let us make it a weapon of fighting for our stalled projects like the Mau Mau roads, better prices for coffee and tea but not positions or political supremacy,” said Kuria. But speaking in President Ruto’s backyard of Uasin Gishu County yesterday, Kiunjuri, a co-principal in the KK political alliance maintained they would ensure that the Kikuyu community remains in the government with or without Gachagua’s hand.
“We are going to oppose attempts by the DP to try and isolate members of the Mt Kenya region from the rest of Kenyans for his own political gains ahead of the 2027 polls,” stated Kiunjuri, one of the fiercest critics of Gachagua in the region.
The Service Party leader revealed that the Eldoret meeting was just one of the forums they have lined up across the country to undo the political damage Gachagua has caused to members of the community who have settled, doing business and working in the area.
But on his part Gachagua called on elected leaders to tone down on politics and concentrate on delivering services to Kenyans saying that time for politics would come.
“Let us work for the people and advance our interests. The unity we call for in this region is to ensure we push for development. I also urge our leaders to be cautious and pursue their interests with thoughtfulness,” said Gachagua.
He at the same time revealed that he has embraced new entrants in government who joined the Kenya Kwanza regime following anti-government protests and urged all leaders to rally behind President William Ruto.
“We accept the newcomers who came on board and all of us are now there to support our president. As a region, our interests are well catered for in the broad-based government and I don’t sleep to ensure we don’t lose,” the DP added.
Also in the new push for unity was Kiambaa MP Njuguna Kawanjiku, a critic of Mr Gachagua who said he is now willing to work with the second in command for the sake of development.
“As youngsters in the country’s leadership, our duty of responsibility is to support you and the president. As a man heads a family, the job you have to drive the economic growth of our country is quite tasking and our only duty is to support you to succeed,
“I have never said that I don’t support Gachagua and I want to say that I am behind him as our leader here in Mt Kenya. I will support him with all that I have,” said Kawanjiku.
Among the leaders present were Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata, Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot (Kericho), Senators John Methu (Nyandarua), Wahome Wamatinga (Nyeri), Jackson Mandago (Uasin Gishu), Joe Nyutu (Murang’a), John Kinyua (Laikipia), Okiya Omtatah (Busia), Karen Nyamu (Nominated) and Veronica Maina (Nominated).
Others were the host MP Gathoni Wamuchomba, Peter Kihungi (Kangema), James Gakuya (Embakasi North), Benjamin Gathiru (Embakasi Central), Mejja Donk (Embakasi Central), George Koimburi (Juja), Njoroge Kururia (Gatundu North), John Machua (Kiambu Town), Teresiah Wanjiru (Nominated), EALA MP Maina Karobia, former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu, former Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri and several MCAs.
Nyandarua Senator John Methu who spoke on behalf of his colleagues from the Mountain region said with the formation of a broad-based Cabinet between President William Ruto and Opposition Chief Raila Odinga, the right thing for the Mountain leadership to do was to unite.
“I want to assure you that all the Senators from the region are behind the DP and we have resolved he is our undisputed leader. We also ask him to remove the dragnets he had set earlier and look for others including Wiper Party’s Kalonzo Musyoka,” said Methu.
Kururia, while welcoming the call for unity, said leaders should hold meetings specifically to address the issue and not use forums like burials or other social events.
