The Mount Kenya political drama continues to deliver – with Laikipia East Member of Parliament Mwangi Kiunjuri sounding strong sentiments against prior remarks by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
While attending a funeral in Kirinyaga County on May 19, 2024, the deputy president and a host of MPs in his entourage accused Kiunjuri and Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro of dividing Mt Kenya.
DP Gachagua and his team vowed to ‘crush’ political obstacles in the region, labelling the opposing Mt Kenya camp as traitors, sponsoring political division in the region.
Speaking during an interview with Kameme on Monday, May 27, Kiunjuri stated that the deputy president is the cause of his own political predicaments both in Mt Kenya and nationally.
“You cannot be walking around dismissing elected leaders as traitors, collaborators, and good for nothing, and then say you are uniting the people,” Kiunjuri posed.
The Laikipia East lawmaker stated that his prior remarks on the Mt Kenya unit addressed leaders from the region in general, therefore, DP Gachagua’s response is a case of a guilty conscience.
“We have evidence on how he has been threatening and demeaning not less than 38 elected leaders in the region, chasing some from functions and planting opposition against others on grounds of forcing them to submit to him.
“He is going around pretending to be uniting the mountain…yet he is moving around accompanied by both elected and non-elected leaders to demean and defame those he thinks do not support him,” Kiunjuri stated.
The lawmaker further threw shade at the deputy president, claiming that he (Kiunjuri) is a principal within the Kenya Kwanza Alliance having signed a deal as leader of The Service Party (TSP).
Kiunjuri criticised Gachagua’s approach to the contentious ‘one man one shilling’ revenue distribution agenda, noting that the DP is a member of the cabinet through which he could push for the implementation of the formula.
“I have a bill in parliament seeking the entrenchment of resource allocation based on population. I have even asked the President to support the formula and he agreed by way of verbal promise.
“President William Ruto in the presence of Mr Gachagua and other leaders from Mt Kenya region promised us his support for the formula… You cannot be an activist and a cabinet member at the same time,” Kiunjuri said.
The Laikipia East MP reiterated that he will not bend to Gachagua’s will, promising a fightback on every instance.
