Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Nyeri Town MP Duncan Maina Mathenge.
A month ago, Nyeri Town MP Duncan Maina Mathenge raised a point of order in Parliament, saying he was speaking on behalf of the six MPs from his county against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
An alumnus of Giakanja Secondary School, who went on to Nyandarua High School in 1982 for his Kenya Advanced Certificate of Education (KACE) before attending the College of Health Professions in 1984 for a diploma course and later the City Guilds Institute for a certificate course, the nearly seven-foot tall legislator launched one of the fiercest attacks on the Deputy President yet in the tricky political landscape the country currently finds itself in.
Already, the country is being treated to a tentative debate on the possibility of impeaching the Deputy President, and most of the cheerleaders are said to be from his own backyard of the mountain.
"My speech here also represents the feelings of the senator (Kimani Wamatinga) and the MP (Rahab Mukami). We have really suffered intimidation and blackmail. And it is imperative that we, as elected leaders, are given the space to carry out the mandate that the ordinary people of Nyeri gave us when they voted for us. It is not possible that the people of Nyeri voted for us so that we can follow an individual everywhere... when that individual goes dancing, drinking muratina and eating nyama choma. It is not possible... even if that dancing, drinking and eating is not in Nyeri... We want to speak from the floor of this house and tell the country that respect is a two-way street. You cannot disrespect us in other constituencies and expect us to maintain the respect we have shown you for the past two years. Respect is earned, it is not demanded, it is not coerced..." he exploded and had to be guided by the Speaker Moses Wetang'ula to relax and calm down.
On July 31, 2024, Mathenge met Gachagua at the funeral of Kikuyu Council of Elders member Charles Kariuki Kabui and, as the host, could not help but come face to face with the deputy, who not only softened but did a 180-degree turn to say he was sorry for his past comments.
He had been challenged by Nyeri spokesman James Gichuhi Mwangi, who wanted him to publicly explain why he was fighting the deputy president and whether he was part of the alleged plot to impeach "our son from Rware".
Mr Mathenge distanced himself from the impeachment rumours, saying he had no idea where the meetings to plot against the DP were being held, was not privy to anyone collecting signatures to launch the motion and if it was brought to him, he would run away screaming to save his fellow villager.
"I do not want to be associated with the politics of deceit, hypocrisy and lies... The Deputy President knows of my immense respect for him. He is aware of the many joint tasks we have carried out together in Parliament. He gave me the role of chair of the Parliamentary Coffee Reform Taskforce. I have pledged to ensure that I am fully committed to his cause and I will reward him by passing the legislation that he is pushing through parliament to help our farmers," he defended.
He continued: "I would also like to humble myself and ask that where my and the Deputy President's paths cross, we reconcile and I sincerely apologise for my past statements. There was a recent instance where on May 19, 2024, His Excellency was at a church function in Nyeri's Endarasha area and I did not show up... It was not intentional as I had a pre-arranged harambee in my constituency and I could not have let down my guests... If I have wronged you Mr Deputy President by my absence, I again sincerely apologise. Should you be impeached, I will be counted among those who risked their necks to defend you. Should I encounter an impeachment process against you, I will stand to be counted as one who staked his neck out to defend you. I have always maintained both privately and publicly that Mr Gachagua is the Mt Kenya kingpin”.
As a happy Mr Gachagua rose to speak, he regretted that "there are those few individuals who have been misled by enemies of Mt Kenya and are everywhere carrying out sponsored plans to divide this mountain".
But in his acceptance speech for Mathenge's apology, Mr Gachagua said that even when the prodigal son in the Bible realised his folly and returned home humbled, he was not cast out, but accepted back in love.
"I do not take offence Mr Mathenge for your wise decision to stay with your constituents here in Nyeri Town when I was in Kieni..... These are the people who elected you and they come first in all your decisions...It is not a must that you people accompany me wherever I go...I am comfortable arriving at an event and finding two or three people...My interest is the people who voted for us...Even the Bible gives me comfort that where two or three are gathered, God is there....These things are normal, people should not put too much pressure on themselves trying to catch up with my schedule," he said.
However, Mr Gachagua's acceptance of the apology came with a disclaimer: "Remember, your activities and utterances are being weighed by these people. They are the ones who will mark our examination... They will give you your marks according to where they stand".
He said that as a father of the mountain and a national leader, he fully understood that "the work in this country is more than enough and people have to balance where they need to be at any given time....If you can't find time to be where I am, but you are doing your work in another place, no problem, carry on".
Other politicians in Mountain Kenya who have been hard on Gachagua and who have taken shots at him at every opportunity include Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri, Murang'a Senator Joe Nyutu, Interior CS nominee Kithure Kindiki, former Public Service CS Moses Kuria, Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru and his own 'political son' Eric Wamumbi who is his home constituency MP in Mathira - all of whom Mr Gachagua has in turn dismissed as traitors.
