Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua now says there was a plot meant to split the Mt Kenya voting bloc.
He dismissed the attempts. He warned that the masterminds will not succeed. This comes a fortnight after a section of MPs from the region promised to rally behind Kiharu Lawmaker Ndindi Nyoro as far as political supremacy in the region is concerned.
“Those scheming to divide the region should know that the people of Mt Kenya are intelligent and are aware of what is happening. Those seeking to divide us are enemies of the region,” he charged
Gachagua was speaking at Kiambu Golf Club on Saturday night. It was during a Thanksgiving for golf champion Michael Karanga. He warned that the stakes are too high and Mt Kenya region cannot afford to have division.
“Our relevance in national leadership lies in our unity. We know what disunity and divisive politics did us in the 1992 and 1997 elections,” he said
The DP is instead calling on leaders to focus on growing the economy. He wants the region’s leaders to unite and promote more youth participation in productive, economic activities.
A number of leaders from the region who accompanied the DP declared to rally behind him.
Thika Town MP Alice Ng’ang’a backed the DP’s sentiments. She said there is a push to divide the region through intercounty politics. She insists it was disrespectful to start succession politics barely a year after Gachagua and President William Ruto formed government.
“There is always one leader at a time. We are fine with DP Gachagua’s leadership,” she said
“During the 2022 campaigns, we said it was President Ruto ten years without a break and the same for DP Gachagua. I urge my colleagues in the Mt Kenya region that we focus on the development and success of the President not succession of leadership, let us stop the politics and internal wrangles,” added EALA lawmaker Maina Karobia.
At the same time, the Deputy President said he had embraced all leaders across the political divide. He wants other leaders to do the same.
“Elections are over, let us close the debate on who voted where because nobody was wrong in making his/her political choice. Let us not remind people where they voted because that is null. President William Ruto and I decided to move on and unite the people. The region is united behind President William Ruto; the people want development and a conducive environment for their businesses,” he stated.
Regarding the country’s economy, the Deputy President asked Kenyans to be patient. He asked them to be patient with President Ruto’s efforts to revive it. He said the economy has improved since President Ruto took over the Presidency.
“Relax and be patient. When you buy a company that is leaping it cannot recover in one day. It takes time. President Ruto inherited a beaten economy. We are not complaining because it is our work to fix. Please work hard and things will get better as we move along,” said the DP.