Mt Kenya at odds as Gachagua and Ruto allies plan separate meetings
President William Ruto and his deputy address wananchi in Kagumo town, Kirinyaga, during a development tour of the county on August 10, 2024.
The political rift in Mt Kenya region continues to widen with warring factions allied to President William Ruto and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua planning separate retreats to champion unity of the Mt Kenya region.
While loyalists of Mr Gachagua are planning to hold their meeting in Nyeri County, the President's men led by Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri have announced a convention in either Nakuru or Mombasa.
Mr Kiunjuri, who is a co-principal in the ruling Kenya Kwanza Alliance by virtue of a pre-election agreement his The Service Party (TSP) signed, is one of the fiercest critics of the DP, whom he accuses of upsetting Dr Ruto’s government and forcing the President into a political deal with opposition leader Raila Odinga.
The two men have been tearing at each other for the past three months now. On Tuesday, Mr Kiunjuri launched yet another scathing attack against Mr Gachagua, accusing him of sowing disunity in the region.
The former Cabinet secretary said politicians “who believe in genuine and honest Mt Kenya unity will soon congregate for a retreat in Naivasha or Mombasa to chart the way forward.”
On August 1, Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga, speaking during an interview on Inooro TV, had announced a meeting for the DP’s allies in Nyeri County.
"We will announce the date and venue that most likely will be by end of this month. We will invite all Mt Kenya leaders who are committed to the cause of our unity and with a desire to see our interests safeguarded now and into the future," he said.
While Mr Gachagua has branded his critics as traitors, Mr Kiunjuri has dismissed the second in command as a dictator. Mr Kiunjuri has even attempted to link Mr Gachagua to anti-government protests that started on June 25 and lasted for a month.
25,000 hooligans
The TSP leader publicly claimed that Mr Gachagua mobilised over 25,000 hooligans to infiltrate peaceful protests and cause chaos in a bid to topple the President.
The DP has denied the claims, challenged the MP to provide evidence and accused the National Intelligence Service (NIS) of being part of a scheme to undermine his office.
Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers raided Mr Gachagua’s office and recorded statements from his three aides—Eric Theuri, Munene Wamumbi and Ngunjiri Wambugu. Two of his vocal loyalists, Embakasi North MP James Gakuya and Embakasi Central's Benjamin Gathiru, were also summoned to record statements but secured a court order barring their arrests.
The hostilities continue to play out despite last Saturday's truce between President Ruto and warring Mt Kenya politicians.
On August 4, Mr Gachagua, during an interview with Mt Kenya vernacular TV stations, accused Mr Kiunjuri of “speaking in useless parables and outdated sayings” while attempting to play the President's spokesman “to a point of seeking to be where the Head of State is just to gossip.”
“He is just a kunda ngutume (loosely translated to errand boy in Kikuyu language). He shamed Mt Kenya by saying we supported violence by sponsoring 25,000 hooligans. He needs to tell us how he counted them, how he determined their tribe, how they were transported and by what means and the number plates of the vehicles that ferried them," the DP said, wondering why Mr Kiunjuri was yet to record a statement on the matter.
On Tuesday, Mr Kiunjuri returned to Inooro FM and declared that the President's allies have only changed tact in their efforts to tame Mr Gachagua.
“There is no retreat [but] for the sake of peace and development, we will be patient,” he said.
"Nothing will stop us from coming together against what is not useful to us as a region. 69 out of 75 elected leaders cannot be saying the same bad things about you for nothing, it is for a genuine reason. Respect us and we will respect you," Mr Kiunjuri said.
He added: “You must be the problem. In fact, the best thing for you to do is engage in soul-searching and self-reflection. I have nothing against [Mr Gachagua], I only respond to him when he attacks me.”
Mr Kiunjuri admitted that the President has been meeting some Mt Kenya region leaders in the absence of Mr Gachagua.
"Those meetings were not meant to discuss individuals. Our focus was to discuss issues that can help the people of this region. We are where we are because of Mr Gachagua's greed that made him join the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) without wisdom," he said.
He said the DP is fond of unjustifiably attacking him "including accusing me of being an enemy of my community".
It is up to Mr Gachagua to win peace by abandoning “the pettiness of insulting anyone he hates", Mr Kiunjuri said.
"Mt Kenya elected leaders and others selected and who, unlike you, do not believe in discussing themselves and their interests, those of us who genuinely believe in uniting Mt Kenya under the national flag instead of the village, will soon have a headcount retreat,” the Laikipia East legislator charged.
Mr Kiunjuri said he was focused on service delivery to the people who elected him and “petty fights will only deny the people of our region their rightful share of development”.
He expressed hopes that Mr Gachagua will “come back to his senses and shun the things that continue to keep him isolated.
"There is some hope since, for the past few days, he has been seen on top of his vehicle saying that the Mountain region is fully inside the government. That is what we have always wanted him to declare," he said.
Mr Kiunjuri said the speed with which Mr Gachagua embraced President Ruto's UDA is what is costing him.
"There is no house without an owner. And definitely, UDA has its owners. While others were forming their parties to increase bargaining power for their regions, you blindly entered into government without your own vehicle. So, stop whining and toe the line," he said.
