Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s Mt Kenya backers now want President William Ruto to rein in his allies from the region trying to create a wedge between the two.
Speaking when they accompanied Rigathi for a church service in Kieni West, Nyeri county on Sunday, the leaders led by Governor Mutahi Kahiga and Embakasi North MP James Gakuya spoke of a plot by youthful leaders close to the President to isolate the DP from his boss.
The sentiments come on the backdrop of what is believed to be spirited efforts to separate Rigathi and President Ruto ahead of 2027 elections.
The DP has been conspicuously missing from key sate functions recently.
Rigathi on Sunday appeared in public for the first time after a week of no-show in what is said to have been caused by a nasty fallout in the Kenya Kwanza administration
The DP confirmed that he was holed up in Nyeri the whole week occasionally moving around in a Probox to keep off the public eye as he assesses the impact of his anti-illicit brews war in the area.
He however kept off the debate of a fallout, allowing his backers to speak on the matter that is threatening the unity of the ruling Kenya Kwanza coalition.
The second-in-command while admitting the infighting said that a lot has been happening in Mount Kenya region and urged leaders to avoid being used to fight others.
" A lot of politics has been said here. I will say nothing, the reason being as the Deputy President, I decided to speak less and work more for the last 10 month. As the spokesperson of Kikuyu community, I am ready to work for my people," Gachagua said.
"You should never stab your brother in the back just because he is doing better than you. Support him, as all the glory will go back to the family."
Gachagua spoke during a fundraiser at Sacred Heart Endarasha Catholic Church in Kieni constituency, Nyeri county, on Sunday.
The DP was accompanied by at least 17 MPs and a host MCAs who expressed confidence in him even as they warned against plotters of bad blood between him and the President.
His backers were however more blunt, vowing to go to any lengths to ensure the DP is not mistreated the same way Ruto suffered in retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s second term.
Nyeri Governor Kahiga, while stating that it was not a favour to have Rigathi as Ruto’s deputy, warned that anybody plotting to humiliate the DP is setting the President against Mt Kenya.
“Our President when he was the DP he was humiliated, denied vehicles and many things but we will not allow our son to go through that. He will not be taken through the humiliation and mistreatment,” Kahiga said.
“Let it go down that we do not want to walk that way again. Those who are trying to bring bad blood between the President and the DP, we are warning you.”
Embakasi North MP Gakuya sensationally claimed that the plot to divide the Mountain is being enginnered from Rift Valley – President Ruto’s backyard.
The scheme, he said, involves using youthful legislators from Central to destabilise the region.
He singled out Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro and Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri, accusing them of being used to fight Rigathi.
“There is a plan being made in Rift Valley. We want to warn Rift Valley that we can organise ourselves. Our government is a coalition government, we don’t want any signs of division,” said Gakuya, who chairs the National Assembly’s Trades Committee.
Gakuya, who is eyeing Nairobi’s UDA chairmanship in the ongoing grassroots elections, asked the President to rein in his friends from the region.
“We want to see the President in the forefront to cool those youths. If they can’t go slow we will deal with them politically,” Gakuya said.
Former Laikipia Woman Rep Cate Waruguru blamed the problems in Kenya Kwanza to a clique of youthful leaders who have unrestricted access to State House and whose main job is to peddle rumours, creating a wedge between leaders.
“We never knew that the people who caused a wedge between President emeritus Uhuru Kenyatta and Ruto, then deputy President, would transit with us to create chaos in the house of Kenya Kwanza,” she said.
The leaders at the function committed to rally behind the Deputy President and have the region speak in one voice.
Those who accompanied the DP were Nyeri Deputy Governor David Kinaniri, Senator Wahome Wamatinga, MP Wainaina Njoroge (Kieni), Rahab Mukami (woman rep), Senator Samson Cherargei (Nandi), Mps Mugambi Rindikiri (Buri), Geoffrey Ruku (Mbeere North), Jayne Kihara (Naivasha), George Gachagua (Ndaragwa), Geoffrey Wandetto (Tetu), and Benjamin Gathiru (Embakasi North).
Others were legislators Kamande Mwafrika (Roysambu), John Mutunga (Tigania West), Moses Kirima (Imenti Central), Samuel Parashina (Kajiado South), Wambugu Wainaina (Othaya), Onesmus Ngogoyo (Kajiado North), Gitonga Mukunji (Manyatta) and Teresiah Wanjiru (nominated)