- They claim that the recent political turmoil in the country and especially in the central region has slowed down development projects adding that almost all projects have been halted at the expense of suffering residents.
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Clerics and residents in Murang'a County have waded into the heated political battle pitting Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and a section of Kenya Kwanza politicians.
They claim that the recent political turmoil in the country and especially in the central region has slowed down development projects adding that almost all projects have been halted at the expense of suffering residents.
The DP has been under sharp criticism from a section of leaders allied to the ruling United Democratic Party (UDA), who have threatened to dethrone him from the seat.
The majority of the leaders who have waged a war against the DP are lawmakers from the Mt Kenya region.
They have disassociated themselves from him [Rigathi] and have gone further to endorse Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof Kithure Kindiki as their nexus with the executive for the region's developments.
Early this month, the National Assembly Majority Leader and Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wa led a team of 48 Parliamentarians from the region in a meeting in Nyahururu, Laikipia County, where they declared their support for Prof Kindiki.
Last week the Deputy President in an interview at Citizen TV revealed that he was privy to credible information that the lawmakers had converged to discuss his ouster.
He however maintained that he's not moved by the imminent impeachment saying that he's only answerable to Kenyans who voted for him and not the MPs.
However, Central Kenya residents and clerics raised concerns that the political acrimony witnessed is being fanned deliberately to the detriment of developments.
Led by Bishop Amos Buchiri, Reverend Meshack Kimuri and Julia Wanjiru, they condemned the politicians for sounding early political drums ahead of the 2027 polls instead of training their focus on the real issue affecting residents and bedevilling the region.
"We didn't elect our MPs to go and fight Gachagua or each other. We elected them to fight for our interests including development projects, and economic activities like tea, coffee, macadamia, milk and avocados. We are aggrieved to see them unite to fight one of their own but they cannot unite to demand better from the government including the one man one vote one shilling revenue-sharing formula," the Bishop said in a meeting on Tuesday.
They noted that crucial projects including roads and especially the Mau Mau road project, water, as well as implementation of the minimum guaranteed returns in milk, coffee and tea, have been turned a blind eye.
Bishop Buchiri said that time is ripe for President William Ruto to call his house to order and cool the rising political temperatures saying that if the trend continues it'll fuel political intolerance in the country.
"It's only the President who can bring an end to the ongoing confrontational politics. He has to call his house to order if he's not the one behind the DP's woes," Buchiri said.
Mbote, a local leader and former Councillor from Kigumo constituency, said that it was worrying that infights and political squabbles are concentrated in the Mt Kenya region while other regions are peaceful with leaders concentrating on implementing their campaign promises to their electorates.
"We suspect that the political storm we are witnessing is a well-calculated move to slow developments in our region. Why is it that the fights are only in this region? Why are they fighting Gachagua despite his relentless efforts to restore sanity in the coffee and tea sectors as well as fighting killer illicit brews in this region?" Mbote poised.
Resident Frashia Muthoni challenged leaders from the region to bury the hatchet, put aside their differences and agitate for the completion of development projects that were initiated by the defunct Jubilee regimen headed by former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
"It's high time they unite and demand completion of these projects. We are not interested in their political differences," she said.
They also called on the former Head of State [Uhuru] to come to the region's rescue by guiding leaders.
They however warned Central Kenya MPs agaisnt involving themselves in the ouster move against the DP saying that they will be digging their own political graves.