Inside Gachagua’s political furnace as Mt Kenya becomes restless
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua during a fundraiser in aid of women groups and boda-boda groups in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County in this past photo.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is a man walking a political minefield, as he strives to achieve the stature of a president-in-waiting, the kingpin of Mt Kenya and overall political stability to see him through to 2032 and beyond.
That is why all eyes on the mountain are on him as he hosts President William Ruto on a five-day tour of the region that began on Saturday and ends on Wednesday.
Faced with the daunting task of deputising for a President who is already living in political hell due to anti-government protests, the harsh Finance Bill 2023, a divided country, cultism, high cost of living, terrorism, impatience with the pace of implementation of pre-election promises... Gachagua's hot seat is being defined.
To compound his political problem, Gachagua has his own battles to fight, ranging from surviving the perception that he should be dropped in the 2027 running mate race, struggling to win the national image as per the dictates of his constitutional office, taming his widely perceived divisive utterances and building both local, regional, continental and global networks.
Potential names being floated as his ideal replacement in the 2027 race include Interior CS Kithure Kindiki, who had beaten him to the punch in the 2022 running mate selection but Dr Ruto insisted on Gachagua, Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, former Murang'a Woman Rep MP Sabina Chege and, if push comes to shove, Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi or Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja.
In the hills, vocal supporters who have been captured by the DP remain Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga, Senator Wahome wa Matinga and the county's other elected leaders, Maragua MP Mary wa Maua and Murang'a woman MP Betty Maina.
But Mr Gachagua is on record as saying that "what I become is not my concern...that is in the hands of God, my agenda for now is to make my people rich, eradicate reckless alcoholism and unite the mountain".
For this endeavour to yield results, former Murang'a Governor Mwangi wa Iria said Mr Gachagua must deliver good returns for farmers, especially in the tea, coffee, poultry and dairy sectors.
"He must also deliver on the one man, one shilling, one vote formula of resource sharing and political justice as well as make Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) more vibrant through the removal of anti-business tax regimes, access to low interest loans and the introduction of a single business permit, not to mention the elimination of police corruption that eats into the profits of transport and liquor companies," said Kigumo politician and former CAS Zack Kinuthia.
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He added that the region is still waiting for results in the war against drugs and killer brews, especially now that governors appear to have chickened out of Gachagua's order to reduce the number of bars for fear of a political backlash.
Long-serving administrator Joseph Kaguthi says there is nothing wrong with Mr Gachagua, "it is just that politics today has changed from the way we knew it and the introduction of the 50 plus one presidential winning formula that has fermenting balkanisation in the search for winning numbers thus reducing running mates to regional kings".
He said Mr Gachagua may end up surprising everyone by crafting his own story of conquest like other MPs like Daniel Moi, Mwai Kibaki and President Ruto "but in his case it is harder".
Mr Kaguthi said Gachagua was "a committed nice man serving in a cruel political environment and with time he may learn to polish the things he says to become more of a refined oasis of wisdom".
Charity begins at home, to survive, Gachagua is being advised first and foremost to unite the 'mountain' so that he can be comfortably accepted as the regional kingpin with the ability to put the region's 11 counties at his beck and call.
The counties he is being told to consolidate support in his favour are Nakuru, Nairobi, Nyandarua, Laikipia, Kiambu, Murang'a, Kirinyaga, Nyeri, Embu, Meru and Tharaka Nithi.
"So far, Mr Gachagua has not mentioned anything on the one man, one shilling, one man, one vote issue in this tour of the mountains, which means everything to his political survival. He is yet to give a convincing timeframe on improving agricultural yields... He is only fighting former President Uhuru Kenyatta, Raila Odinga and the handshake," said Nakuru County politician Njenga Mungai.
Mr Mungai warned that Gachagua was doing the Mountain a disservice by speaking in a way that alienated it from the other half of the country.
"We are seeing bad divisions where the region remains divided along sub-tribes, districts and also along Azimio and United Democratic Alliance (UDA) lines. We do not want our region to become a theatre where people and issues are vilified. We want Gachagua to unite with former President Uhuru Kenyatta and Martha Karua so that we can add value to our bargaining power," said Wachira Kiago, chairman of the Kikuyu Council of Elders.
As power struggles continue in the region, security agents also privately complain that transfers in and out of the region have been hijacked by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
" There is a list of transfers dated 23 July that was released by the Ministry of Home Affairs under Prof Kindiki... but some elements in the office of the Deputy President have put an embargo on the list. They are insisting on vetting the transfer lists to ascertain acceptability measured by loyalty... we are not serving the constitution, we are serving the man," said an officer serving in the Central Region Security Committee.
Francis Gachuri, director of communications at the Interior ministry told the Nation that 'I have made enquiries with the relevant officers and I will issue a directive'.
As the politics of mountain capture raged, putting Gachagua on the spot, it may have prompted his office to release a separate programme for the five-day tour. Conspicuously, and raising doubts about the cohesion of State House and the office of the deputy, the president did not follow Gachagua's route.
Had the President followed his deputy's route, he would have passed through Murang'a, Gwa Gakonya, Kabuta and Sagana markets on his way to Kirinyaga County on Saturday, but he stuck to the State House itinerary that favoured Kenol, Makutano road.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna said he would recommend "an outward looking demeanour for Gachagua where instead of being known for his obsession with his mother tongue and Mt Kenya issues, he embraces the global village mindset".
Again, he is warned that he is the only odd man out at the top of the big boys' league of contemporary politics.
"Gachagua is the only one in this league who has never worked with Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party boss Raila Odinga, hence he must be extra careful and start behaving like a national leader," said Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni.
He said President Ruto, Mr Mudavadi, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi and former President Uhuru Kenyatta are powerful people who were allies of the former PM "so Gachagua must always be aware that he can be isolated and all the others can gang up against him and his community".
Significantly, Mr Gachagua's allies in the hills have cried foul at suggestions by United Democratic Alliance (UDA) secretary general Cleophas Malala that the ruling Kenya Kwanza Alliance will collapse into a single giant party.
"At the moment, it is difficult for Mt Kenya to understand why we are trying to recapture the Jubilee Party and reshape it to suit the interests of the mountains. This party will compete with the UDA for supporters... In a year's time you will understand why," the party's secretary-general hopeful, Kanini Kega, recently told Inooro TV.
Mr Kega being Mr Gachagua's new found ally, his comments have been interpreted to mean that the Jubilee Party could be Mr Gachagua's plan B should the going get tough in Mt Kenya politics before 2027.
