Mt. Kenya opinion shapers and over 50 elected leaders have backed Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s unity bid, to strengthen the Ruto Administration.
During the closure of the Mt. Kenya Golf Festival tournament held at the Nyeri Golf Club Saturday evening, businessmen and women, professionals and political leaders from the Mt. Kenya region rallied behind Gachagua and promised to work with him and the Kenya Kwanza administration ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Among the attendants of the meeting, which is the first since President William Ruto and Gachagua rose to power, were members of the Jubilee Party that is affiliated to retired President Uhuru Kenyatta.
“We are delighted by your presence in this forum. We urge you to follow the footsteps of former President Mwai Kibaki, make the golf tournament an annual event. Kibaki was the patron of the club and played golf for 40 years. Continue with his legacy because you are our leader,” said Nyeri Town MP Maina Mathenge and Trade and Investments expert Daniel Wamahiu.
“We are coming together as Mt. Kenya leaders behind the Deputy President and addressing our political and economic interests such as unemployment,” Jubilee Party Acting Secretary-General and EALA MP Kanini Kega said.
In his remarks, the Deputy President said that since there were no elections, the country should be united and that he would consolidate the region for purposes of its growth and development.
“President William Ruto and I want all Kenyans to be one team, one people for the development of this country since the elections are over. In this region, during the last elections, we were divided to a certain extent because 87 per cent voted for President Ruto and 13 per cent voted the other way. The elections are over and I have on record invited the 13 per cent to come. We work together for our region and country because there is no enmity or quarrel. Election is like a sport and should be taken beyond there,” said the Deputy President.
He was accompanied by professionals, business people and political leaders from the 10 counties in Mt Kenya region led by Governors Mutahi Kahiga (Nyeri), Muthomi Njuki (Tharaka Nithi), Joshua Irungu (Laikipia), Dr Irungu Kang’ata (Murang’a), Nyeri Deputy Governor David Kinaniri and Senators Wahome Wamatinga (Nyeri), Kamau Murango (Kirinyaga), John Methu (Nyandarua), John Kinyua (Laikipia)
Tabitha Karanja (Nakuru) and Veronica Maina (Nominated).
Forty-Two members of Parliament led by Sabina Chege (Acting Jubilee Party Leader and nominated MP), John Kaguchia (Mukurweini), Mugambi Rindikiri (Buuri)
Benjamin Gakuya (Embakasi North), Mejja Donk Gathiru (Embakasi Central), Njuguna Kawanjiku (Kiambaa), Jayne Kihara (Naivasha), Alice Ng’ang’a (Thika Town), Wachira Karani (Laikipia West), Gachoki Gitari (Kirinyaga Central), Michael Muchira (Ol Jorok), Kwenya Thuku (Kinangop), John Paul Mwirigi (Igembe South), Betty Njeri (Murang’a Woman Representative), Karen Nyamu (Nominated senator) among others were present.
Members of the East Africa Legislative Assembly Kanini Kega (who is also the Acting Jubilee Party Secretary-General) and Maina Karobia together with former MPs Gichuki Mugambi (Othaya) and Wambugu Ngunjiri (Nyeri Town) and businessmen Wachira Maina Keen and Peter Kanyago (former KTDA chairperson) were also present.
Last week, the Kikuyu Council of Elders, through its national chairperson Wachira Kiago, welcomed and endorsed the Deputy President’s bid to unite the region and to reach out to all leaders irrespective of their political affiliation.
The Akurino Church also endorsed the Deputy President as the regional political kingpin so that he he could chart the region’s political destiny.
In his remarks at the golf tournament, the Deputy President asked the business community to work together with the government and pursue a unity of purpose.
“Let us work together and pursue a unity of purpose, assist each other and build our country. None of us has interest in what happened during that time (election campaigns). I am asking people of this region with a lot of humility to rally behind the President and assist him in his development programs, ” said Mr Gachagua.
About the event, he said “a time has come for us to come together and interact with businessmen and professionals and get ideas on how to make this country better”.
On the economic status of the country, the Deputy President asked the country’s business community to be patient with the government because the revenues being collected in the form of taxes were being used to settle foreign debts.
“By the time we took over the government in September 2022 we found a Ksh. 9.8 trillion debt owed outside there and it was no longer possible to continue borrowing. It was not sustainable to continue subsidizing fuel and unga. We found the fuel subsidy program had a debt of Sh140 billion but we have managed to pay Ksh. 120 billion. That was not going to be an option because it was not sustainable. Fuel situation is a global situation,” he added.
He also stated that allowing returning subsidies of fuel would lead to high taxations on workers and entrepreneurs.
Additionally, he said the 2 billion dollars borrowed from Eurobond by the previous administration was not well thought out because of its high interest rate.
“We are asking Kenyans to exercise the understanding that no government wants to levy taxation on people that they cannot pay. We have many infrastructure projects, which stopped two years before the 2022 elections, but from taxes collected contracts have been able to return to site,” he said.
Source: KBC
