You're committing political suicide, Riggy G allies warn rebels

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's allies have warned their colleagues against mounting a rebellion against the DP, likening it to writing their own political obituaries.

In multiple phone interviews with the Star, the pro-Gachagua camp said it would be political suicide to fight the second in command, who has managed to galvanise the region.

Gatanga MP Edward Muriu, once a fierce critic of the DP, said the Gachagua wave in Central is like a tsunami that will sweep any roadblocks placed on its way.

The UDA secretary for legal affairs told the Star that Gachagua has managed to consolidate the region and has snatched the vote-rich region from President William Ruto.

“The bone of contention in Mt Kenya politics is that the Deputy President has galvanised the Mountain behind him; he has taken over from Ruto. That is his biggest crime,” Muriu said.

“We (Mt Kenya) follow issues; we follow people who articulate our issues – our coffee, our tea and our milk. Rigathi Gachagua is the one speaking this language; the people are with Rigathi Gachagua.”

According to Muriu, it would take a miracle for the anti-Gachagua forces to win back their seats if they continue making the DP their punching bag.

“I am not God (to foretell what will happen in 2027) but let me say what they are doing is to impress someone else and not the people who elected them. The people who elected them are telling them otherwise,” he said.

“The people are with Rigathi Gachagua.”

Last month, the DP warned rebels that they have until December to falll in line or be kicked out by voters.

“By this year December, the decision would have been made on who will be coming back and who is going home,” Gachagua said.

“As we prepare ahead of the 2027 elections, take note the coming election will be very competitive. You know I am that person who listens to the ground. Some serious decisions have already been made."

The DP spent the better part of Friday meeting his politburo at his Karen residence in what insiders described as a strategy meeting.

Present at the meeting were MPs James Gakuya (Embakasi North), Benjamin Mejjadonk (Embakasi Central ), Joseph Munyoro (Kigumo), Nyandarua Senator John Methu, ex-MPs Catherine Waruguru (Laikipia) and Ngunjiri Wambugu (Nyeri Town).

The Karen meeting came hours after 69 MPs from the region met in Nyahururu and denounced the DP and endorsed Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof Kithure Kindiki as the region’s kingpin.

The Mt Kenya and Diaspora Parliamentary Leaders Forum converging in Nyahururu, Laikipia, on Thursday declared Kindiki the region’s liaison between them and the President.

“Given the prevailing state of affairs and the urgency of the mission ahead, there is a need for a link that will create a nexus between us and the National Executive on development matters," the legislators declared in a joint statement.

"Accordingly, we, as the elected leaders from this region and its diaspora, unanimously resolve that our link to the national government be the Cabinet Secretary for the Interior and National Administration, Prof Kithure Kindiki, whose responsibilities include the coordination of national government functions across the country."

The declaration came days after another breakaway Mt Kenya East faction backed Kindiki.

Former Laikipia Woman Rep Waruguru and ex-Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu, both allies of the DP, rubbished the Kindiki endorsement, accusing the MPs of being used to fight one of their own.

According to the vocal politicians, both President Ruto and his allies from the region are rattled by Gachagua’s growing influence in the region.

“It is not mere coincidence that the only region that is fighting is Mt Kenya. Somebody is rattled, somebody is uncomfortable and Ruto thinks that (he can use) the same strategies he used when we fought Uhuru Kenyatta – he (Ruto) carried all MPs towards him and I was an MP and we were singing his song,” Waruguru told the Star on phone.

“He is using the same strategy of buying Mt Kenya MPs and thinking that it would work. It will not work this time.

“They want to be in the right books with the President. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, we have many traitors from our region. We will suffer just a little while, we shall emerge victorious.”

Wambugu in a social media post laughed off the Laikipia declaration saying it will end in tears.

“During Kieleweke days I once convened a meeting that had a long list of MPs – I think they were 48 including some absent but in concurrence,” Ngunjiri posted.

“One person responded saying, ‘We now know which MPs will go home’. He was right, we went home.”