Gachagua escalates efforts to isolate Uhuru in Mt Kenya

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Saturday hosted former Jubilee Party lawmakers as he escalated his effort to isolate retired President Uhuru Kenyatta in Mt Kenya.

Since becoming DP late last year, the former Mathira MP has been consolidating the region as he positions himself as its kingpin after Mr Kenyatta.

The meeting with the once-allies of Mr Kenyatta is seen as a continuation of a spirited campaign to diminish the former president’s influence in the region.

It also feeds into the push to kick out Mr Kenyatta from the Jubilee party by members who have declared support for President William Ruto and the ruling Kenya Kwanza alliance.

East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Kanini Kega, who is leading rebels to take Jubilee from Mr Kenyatta, and at least former lawmakers were at the meeting with Mr Gachagua. Those in attendance included Mr Wambugu Ngunjiri (Nyeri Town), Ms Jane Njiru (Embu Woman Representative), Mr Jude Njomo (Kiambu), Mr Antony Kiai (Mukurweini), Mr Kabinga Wachira (Mwea) and Mr Mugambi Gichuki (Othaya).

Dethroned by UDA

Mr Gachagua said he was happy to host the people he served with in the last Parliament.

The DP added that he is ready to work with anyone to ensure the success of President Ruto’s administration.

The former lawmakers, who have been strong critics of the Ruto administration and supported Azimio la Umoja Coalition presidential candidate Raila Odinga on August 9, 2022, told Mr Gachagua that they have accepted the fact that Dr Ruto won fairly and are ready to throw their weight behind the Kenya Kwanza administration.

“Despite being in Jubilee, they have accepted that Dr William Ruto was duly elected President of Kenya. Being Democrats, they accepted the will of the people and congratulated him,” Mr Gachagua said.

The Saturday meeting was an extension of Mr Gachagua’s bid to ensure the leaders were not left behind in the development of the region and the country, he said.

Mr Gachagua said he is only interested in embracing everyone for the good of Kenya, despite their past political differences “as we implement the transformative Kenya Kwanza programme”. 

“We were the best of friends but parted ways when bad politics crept in after the infamous handshake (between then-presidnet Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga) on March 9, 2018,” Mr Gachagua told the gathering.

“We have taken time to catch up and review the politics that divided us.”

The leaders distanced themselves from the anti-government demonstrations called by the opposition.

They claimed there are attempts to revive the outlawed Mungiki sect by some Mt Kenya leaders.

The forum with Mr Gachagua came after Mr Kenyatta presided over a meeting of former ruling party leaders in Nairobi early in the week.

The former president announced that he is still politically active and vowed to give the Kenya Kwanza administration a run for its money in the ruling coalition’s efforts to eat into his support base.

Mr Kenyatta’s move opened a battlefront with President Ruto and Mr Gachagua over the control of Jubilee and their leaders, some of whom have shifted allegiance to the ruling alliance.

But it is in Mt Kenya where the battle for Jubilee soul and control of its supporters is expected to be felt the most as Mr Kenyatta and Mr Gachagua square it out.

It is in Mt Kenya where Jubilee still has a sizeable support despite being dethroned by Kenya Kwanza in the last General Election. 

Guns blazing

Mr Gachagua has been making inroads in Mt Kenya, winning support from some of the former Jubilee lawmakers since the August 2022 vote as he positions himself to be the region’s political master and succeed the former president.

Mr Kenyatta, whose star appeared to be waning after his Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition lost the election despite enjoying immense government backing, has received some sympathy from many Kenyans following an attack on his farm at the height of the anti-government demonstrations several weeks ago.

The problems facing Kenyans, including high costs of living and failure by the Kenya Kwanza administration to fulfill most of its campaign promises have further given Mr Kenyatta strength to rekindle his political star.

Sources who spoke to the Sunday Nation after the Gachagua-former lawmakers meeting said discussions centred on how to counter Mr Kenyatta’s political resurgence in Mt Kenya and the growing discontent among residents following a sharp drop in coffee, tea and macadamia prices.

They said local traders also face many problems that need to be addressed urgently.

The leaders are said to have agreed to come out with guns blazing in support of President Ruto and Mr Gachagua’s leadership and ward off Mr Kenyatta and Jubilee resurgence.