The Kikuyu Council of Elders has pleaded with former President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to forgive each other and forge political unity.
The council’s national chairman, Wachira Kiago, emphasized the importance of Uhuru and Gachagua working together for the greater good of the Mount Kenya region.
Wachira Kiago noted that Gachagua should not be castigated for his recent overtures, expressing his willingness to engage in a handshake with Uhuru Kenyatta, all in the name of unity.
“Gachagua is right and he should not be castigated over his recent move that he will reach out to Uhuru, nothing is permanent in politics and the two should unite the community,” Wachira said.
In an exclusive interview with a radio station on Friday, October 6, 2023, Deputy President Gachagua revealed a new willingness to engage in dialogue, indicating a softening of his once-hardline position against Kenyatta.
Gachagua’s call continues to receive positive feedback from politicians who had once opposed him in the lead-up to August presidential poll.
“We will unite our region, Mount Kenya, so that we speak with one voice,” said the deputy president.
Political analyst Albert Kasembeli has suggested that Gachagua appears to be increasingly anxious in his endeavor to consolidate the Mount Kenya region as a reliable vote base ahead of the 2027 general election.
He said that this might explain his current outreach to seek Uhuru’s support.
“Gachagua appears to be a worried man, evident from his recent confrontations with President Ruto over issues of shareholding and voter percentages. I can confidently say that things are not going well,” Kasembeli remarked.
Kasembeli also suggested that there might be an unspoken rivalry between Gachagua and Ruto for control over Mount Kenya leaders.
He noted that while Ruto is actively working to retain the support of Mount Kenya MPs ahead of the 2027 elections, Gachagua is equally engaged in efforts to dislodge Ruto’s influence and establish himself as the region’s political kingpin.
Isaiah Gichu, the national chairman of the Party of Democratic Unity, conveyed that the unity between Gachagua and former President Uhuru Kenyatta is of paramount importance.
Gichu emphasized that no malice should be inferred from this truce, highlighting the divisions within the Mount Kenya region that require a united voice.
“The Mount Kenya region is divided, and both Uhuru and Gachagua hold the keys to our unity. They should be supported through all means,” remarked Gichu.
Former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga on Saturday during men’s conference at Kenol, Murang’a County pleaded with mt Kenya leaders to unite irrespective of their political affiliation.
Njenga said that the region of Mount Kenya region should speak in one voice to enhance growth and prosperity of the region.
“We are appealing to every leader from Mount Kenya region to promote peace irrespective of political affiliation,” he said.
Former Ichagaki MCA Charles Mwangi has said Gachagua has shown signs of protecting the political interests of Mount Kenya and therefore should be supported.
“Gachagua is right now the most senior leader from Mount Kenya in government. That puts him ahead of the pack,” Mwangi says.
He noted that with former President Uhuru Kenyatta now retired and focused on his new job as a regional mediator in DRC and Ethiopia, Gachagua is now seen by many as a Mount Kenya regional political kingpin in the making
