Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua at Mawingu Trail on the slopes of Mt Kenya on March 18, 2023.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is working on a three-pronged strategy to rally Mt Kenya behind him — to project his position as the second in command, appeal directly to the grassroots and have his allies scout for possible coalition partners.
As DP Gachagua trumpets the regional unity cause, trying hard to profile critics as traitors and being the soloist of slogans to entice discipleship, his foot soldiers have come out to offer snippets into the roadmap in mind ahead of the 2027 elections.
Kiambu Senator Karungo Thang'wa told the Nation that Mr Gachagua's focus on the mountain remains the selling point for present and future engagements.
"The 'I am a villager' rhetoric, one-man-one-shilling-one-vote, money in farmers' pockets, a sober Mt Kenya as well as unity and love slogans remain impenetrable by those who seek to undermine him," Mr Thang'wa argued.
The ‘I am a villager’ slogan, popularised by DP Gachagua this year, is widely scene as an ode to his shift from national to in-ward looking, central Kenya-focused politics. His allies from the region have been helping to popularise this on social media.
Own broad-based coalition
Nyandarua Senator John Methu reveals that one of the options available is for Mr Gachagua to form an alliance with like-minded politicians from other regions, mentioning Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Trans-Nzoia Governor George Natembeya as possible partners.
"This move would help our Gachagua to solidify his support base and secure his future political career. By so doing, he will not be acting at cross purpose with his boss, who is also afield building a broad-based government. DP Gachagua too should pursue a broad-based coalition," Mr Methu told a public function graced by the DP in Kiambu last week.
Mr Gachagua has also openly sought to mend fences with former President Uhuru Kenyatta to forge a united regional force that would pursue other alliances as insurance against perceived looming ‘betrayal’ after President Ruto united with opposition leader Raila Odinga to share Cabinet slots.
His allies also reckon that Mr Musyoka and Mr Natembeya could benefit from the restive Mt Kenya amid growing perception that DP Gachagua is being isolated from President Ruto’s government.
Working with MCAs
With Mr Gachagua mostly seen courting Members of County Assemblies (MCAs), Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) don Mr Charles Mwangi argues that "this is a clever way of complicating those fighting his Mt Kenya unity bid".
Mr Mwangi said that "by ignoring nationally elected leaders in favour of MCAs, he is denying his opponents, who mostly are allied to the president, from capture".
He argued that nationally elected leaders are easily captured by the president through Parliamentary Group meetings, House leaders and service delivery politics.
"But an MCA is an easy ally who has direct touch with the grassroots voter. To control Mt Kenya politics, it is easier using MCAs than using other clusters of elected leaders," said Mr Mwangi, who also served as Mt Kenya MCAs caucus chair between 2017-2022.
Emergence of regionalists in his support base who include former Kiambu governor Ferdinand Waititu and former Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri is eliciting a fightback from State House and the ruling party, the United Democratic Alliance.
Since President Ruto announced that "those who pursue politics of tribal balkanisation are primitive", UDA interim Secretary-General Hassan Omar has now told Mr Gachagua to stop taking the president hostage by pretending to be the Mt Kenya politics gatekeeper.
In turn, Nyeri governor Mr Mutahi Kahiga has since pushed back, saying "dismissing Mr Gachagua as primitive is a direct insult to the mountain".
Mr Gachagua appears to be seeking to unite Mt Kenya region as his 2027 security blanket, given that it is the single strongest voting block in the country.
