Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has raised concerns about a plot to divide the unity of the Mt. Kenya region using local leaders.
Speaking on Friday during a thanksgiving ceremony at Mutonyora Comprehensive School in Njabini, Nyandarua County, Gachagua warned residents that disunity could lead to them being shortchanged politically.
Addressing the audience in his native Kikuyu language, Gachagua expressed a foreboding sense of future troubles.
“I am not too clever, and neither am I a fool, there is something I know and when I look keenly, wake up early and look, I see darkness, I see someone plotting against us, and our children being used to divide us,” he said.
Gachagua compared the politicians he accused of sowing disunity to children, urging parents to engage with them to prevent divisions within the Mt. Kenya communities.
He stressed that internal conflicts would bring unspecified problems and emphasized the need for unity and mutual love.
“Parents, these are our children, talk to them. Tell them to be wary because the enemy of the Kikuyu, is a Kikuyu. Let us be careful, love one another,” he stated.
Amidst recent political turmoil, Gachagua called for a unified front among Mt. Kenya leaders, cautioning against internal conflicts.
“Everywhere else, you do not find people being incited to fight one another, it is only in this region. We should not be fools, let us wisen up, let us open our eyes and see the future,” he said.
Gachagua also urged Mt. Kenya residents to support President William Ruto, emphasizing the importance of regional unity for broader national stability.
The Deputy President’s remarks came in the context of increasing tensions within the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party. On Thursday, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja accused Gachagua of bullying other leaders, which led to further political discord.
Nyandarua Senator John Methu defended Gachagua, stating, “Governor wa Nairobi hana any impetus ya kujibizana na mheshimiwa Rigathi Gachagua, na nilimwambia jana tukiwa pale Bunge.”
Similarly, Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei added, “Ukikosea heshima naibu wa rais, umekosea rais William Ruto heshima kwa sababu hawa ni chanda na pete na hawa ni Presidency, you cannot separate them.”
Gachagua’s renewed calls for Mt. Kenya unity come amidst opposition from some leaders within the ruling party, including Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, who has created further friction in the region.