Governor Kahiga: There is no bad blood between DP Gachagua, Musalia Mudavadi
Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga has defended Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua against claims of undermining Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
Governor Kahiga said that only Dr William Ruto and Mr Gachagua vied for presidency under the Kenya Kwanza coalition in the August 9, 2022, General Election.
Mr Kahiga, on Friday, termed other top-ranking leaders in the coalition as ‘appointees of the President’.
“Kenyans are stretching their imaginations too far. Let us agree that only Dr Ruto and Mr Gachagua, went to the ballot,” Mr Kahiga said at his Nyeri town office on Friday.
“The rest are appointees of the President and it is important that we understand that. The President himself has a right to reorganise his government any time because, by the end of the day, it is him who is answerable to the people of Kenya,” he added.
Wrangles
The governor said the government is steadfast under the leadership of Dr Ruto, arguing that the perceived wrangles are being fuelled by a section of politicians.
“I have held talks with both Musalia and Rigathi and there is no bad blood between them. The fact of the matter is that the government is being run well. We should not send the wrong messages to the people of Kenya. We are sailing well, but of course, there are storms in the sea once in a while,” Mr Kahiga, a close ally to Mr Gachagua, said.
“When there is peace in this country, people like creating unnecessary wars. I don’t want to subscribe to the notion that there are battles in Kenya Kwanza,” he added.
Dr Ruto, while chairing a retreat for the Executive arm of government at Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club in Nyeri last week, told the top State officials that Mr Rigathi and he entered into a contract with the citizens during last year’s polls.
“The people of Kenya went to the ballot and signed a contract with me and I share it with each and every one of you. On the ballot, there was the name of Rigathi Gachagua and William Ruto and they signed off and we have a contract. It might not be written on any paper unlike the letter of appointment you have between me and you. My letter of appointment I received on August 9,” Dr Ruto said.
“That letter of appointment has responsibilities and they are solemn and sacred. My request to you members of my Cabinet is that we must protect the interests and resources of the millions of the people of Kenya who pay tax. Those Kenyan people have hired you through me and we are their servants and advocates and that is why we must protect their interests in all our transactions. We must carry their aspirations and must be reflected in every action in government,” the President added.
Mr Kahiga also defended Mr Gachagua in his ‘war of words’ with Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, saying he was given the mandate by President Ruto to be the link between the county governments and the national government.
“You have seen the efforts made by the DP in brokering truce in Meru between Governor Kawira Mwangaza and the local MCAs. We must admit here that, while the DP is not the supervisor of counties, he is indeed the link between county governments and the national government. This is a role that he was given by Dr Ruto,” Mr Kahiga said.
“People have perceived that there is a war of words between Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. This is untrue. When the DP engages with us at the county level, it is important that we understand that he is just doing his job,” he added.
Climbing Mt Everest
The governor continued: “We don’t need to create a mountain out of a molehill. Whatever Sakaja is doing in Nairobi is well-meant and whatever the DP said was just merely some advice”.
Mr Kahiga honoured Mr James Kagambi who became the first Kenyan to summit the world’s tallest mountain – Mr Everest – last year.
Mr Kagambi was in a group of seven Africans who reached the highest point on earth by climbing Mt Everest on May 12, 2022.
He reached Mt Everest’s peak at 8,849 meters or 29,032 feet, an achievement that made Governor Kahiga appoint him Nyeri’s tourism ambassador.
Since 1953, about 6,000 climbers have summited Mt Everest, but only eight were black African climbers.
Mr Kagambi, therefore, joins the small list of other heroes and heroines from Nyeri who have also achieved great accomplishments in their respective disciplines.
They include Mwai Kibaki (Kenya’s 3rd President), Dedan Kimathi (former freedom fighter), Prof Wangari Maathai (Nobel Peace Laureate) and athletes Catherine Ndereba and Douglas Wakiihuri among others.
“This has started the journey of honouring heroes and heroines as a county. This is geared towards promoting Nyeri County as a tourism destination with great heritage, a wealth of natural sites and great heroes, heroines and legends,” Mr Kahiga said.
