Kanini Kega: I will rally Mt Kenya behind DP Gachagua
Former Kieni MP Kanini Kega (left) with Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga. Kanini, who is now the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) nominee, had paid a courtesy call to the county chief. The two discussed the need to rally the region's leaders from both Azimio and Kenya Kwanza coalitions behind Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Former Kieni MP Kanini Kega and Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga on Friday held talks as they started rallying Mt Kenya leaders behind Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
The two announced plans to hold a series of meetings with leaders allied to Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition and Kenya Kwanza Alliance towards supporting and endorsing Mr Gachagua as the region’s topmost politician and political kingpin.
Mr Kega announced that he will foster the region’s unity behind the DP but within his political formation – Jubilee Party that is led by former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
“The senior most politician that we have at the moment in Mt Kenya is none other than DP Rigathi Gachagua and we will all be anchored under that umbrella. But people have been misconstruing that we are leaving our political parties to join another political formation,” Mr Kega said.
Mr Kega’s move renders credence to talks of a possible Jubilee Party moving out of Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition to work together with Kenya Kwanza ahead of 2027 polls.
Mr Kega did not, however, confirm or deny reports of Jubilee Party planning to work with President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza.
“I want to make it clear that we are coming together with our own outfits at the moment. If in future we will be able to work on those other things, then it will be okay. At the moment, I am joining this unity as a member of the Jubilee Party. I am here as director of elections at Jubilee Party,” he added.
Mr Kega, who is East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) nominee, spoke at Governor Kahiga’s Nyeri office where he had paid him a courtesy call.
“I am on record affirming that the Deputy President played a critical role in ensuring that I got that (EALA) seat. I must confess that it was not easy because of the different interests that were there, but Rigathi and the rest of the mountain stood with me,” Mr Kega said.
The two leaders pledged to work together in lobbying other leaders from the region to unite.
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“Chief Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi brought the entire Luhya nation together and that was regarded as unity of purpose. But when leaders from the mountain meet, that is perceived with a lot of suspicion. We are not meeting for political reasons but for the best interests of the people of Mt Kenya,” Mr Kega said.
Mr Kahiga who has emerged as a strong defender of Mt Kenya interests in Kenya Kwana administration and Mr Gachagua’s political diehard, said the unity will ensure that the region taps more resources and projects from the national government.
“We have tasked Kega to reach out to leaders from his political formation to join us in propelling this country forward. Kega and I want to be that beacon of light that will unite leaders from this region. But that one should not fool us to think that going ahead, we will not be there. I must tell you that politics is not a love affair; it is driven by interests. Interests of our people come first,” Mr Kahiga said.
Mr Gachagua has indicated that he was working on plans to bring Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition political bigwigs in Mt Kenya to work with Kenya Kwanza administration before January 2023.
