Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi has weighed in on the debate over political leadership in the Mt Kenya region, insisting that Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is the current kingpin of the vote-rich bloc.
His remarks came in direct response to Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba, who’d defended former President Uhuru Kenyatta and warned against continued attacks on his legacy.
Wamuchomba had faulted leaders allied to the Kenya Kwanza coalition for undermining the former president, saying that Uhuru remained the undisputed leader of the Mt Kenya region.
According to her, Uhuru’s ten-year tenure in office, despite its flaws, demonstrated leadership that was never cut short by impeachment or political upheaval. She argued that he never sought to remove his deputy and that, unlike others, he managed to unify the country during his time in power.
In her strongly-worded statement, Wamuchomba said Uhuru was free to bless a successor of his choice and should not be vilified for his current political engagements.
She cautioned against portraying Mt Kenya as belonging to any one politician, stressing that the region’s eight million votes were not a political monopoly.
“It’s disheartening to see Mountain people attacking each other for political competition; this entitlement is too much. Nobody has the monopoly of the eight million Mountain votes,” she said.
The legislator further linked attacks on Uhuru to a broader attempt to undermine Kiambu County and the wider central Kenya region.
“Attacking Uhuru is despising Kiambu and Kenya at large. Let it be clear, you attack Uhuru, you attack Kiambu County and we are watching,” she stated.
She also questioned why leaders who dismissed Uhuru at the height of political campaigns were now keen on inheriting his party.
“If all what was said about him during swearing-in of the Kenya Kwanza Government is true, why do you want to inherit his party? Is inheritance given by force?” she asked.
In her remarks, Wamuchomba also emphasized that Kenya is a democracy and every leader had a right to associate with whomever they wished.
She added that Kiambu was not a political colony of Nyeri, urging respect for leaders regardless of their county of origin within the Mountain.
However, Ahmednasir dismissed her assertions, arguing that political influence in the region had shifted irreversibly. In his view, Uhuru represents the past while Gachagua embodies the present and the future.
“Hon, in our books, Hon Rigathi Gachagua is the undisputed kingpin of the Mountain. On obvious and undisputed facts, just be truthful. Gachagua is today and tomorrow. Uhuru was yesterday and the day before,” Ahmednasir said.
His remarks underline the growing contest over the Mt Kenya political crown, with allies of Uhuru maintaining his relevance while Kenya Kwanza loyalists rally around Gachagua.
The debate reflects ongoing tensions in central Kenya politics, where loyalty, legacy, and succession remain deeply contested.
As the political rivalry intensifies, it is clear that the Mt Kenya region continues to play a pivotal role in shaping national politics, with its leaders and voters central to the country’s electoral landscape.
Whether the region ultimately consolidates behind Gachagua or retains a divided front remains to be seen.
