Political fireworks are lighting up in the Mt Kenya region, with a flex of muscles on who is who in the Central regional political arena.
Speaking during the Limuru III conference, several leaders have called for unity in the region, which has seemingly been divided in the recent past.
Some of the political players who spoke during the conference insisted that the region has only one political kingpin, former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
According to George Maara, a 2022 senatorial aspirant under the Jubilee party, Uhuru has not handed over the political leadership to anyone for now, and he will remain the political supremo of the region until he hands over to another person.
“We only have one kingpin who is recognized by the community and that is Uhuru Kenyatta. He is our current leader in Mt Kenya and he will hand over the kingpinship whenever he deems appropriate to do so. The organisers of the Limuru 3 meeting are political parties with roots in Mt Kenya- we have 31 Political parties represented in the meeting,” Maara stated.
“This meeting has no intention of installing a kingpin in Mt Kenya but looks to bring the people of Mt Kenya region to discuss their issues and top among them being the one man, one vote, one shilling. We already have a leader (Kingpin) in the Mt Kenya region who is Uhuru Kenyatta.”
Plot against Mt Kenya
Lawyer Ndegwa Njiru has accused the government of plotting against the people of the region through state machinery including the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).
“The government is out to finish the people of our region. They are the same government that arrested our mothers and fathers and branded them Mungiki, they have branded our youth Mungiki and intimidate them through unwarranted arrests. But we will always be there in the corridors of justice to represent our people pro bono. We will not be cowed or intimidated,” Njiru said
“They are using institutions like EACC and KRA to harass the hardworking people of Mt Kenya. Mt Kenya-owned businesses are collapsing like in Nyamakima and Luthuli. We are led by greedy leaders who are being used by the regime to pass outrageous bills that continue to oppress the people of Mt Kenya. The bills are created elsewhere and given to Mt Kenya leaders to shove down the throats of Kenyans.”
Minority whip Mark Mwenje called on the people of the region to stand up for themselves and fight the atrocities advanced by the government against them.
“If Maumau had the courage to fight the colonial regime, did the fighters sire cowards who couldn’t fight for themselves? Those who supported this regime had no agreement that Mt Kenya people would be oppressed. Why are we being cowed by this regime? We can fight it,” Mwenje said.
He accused MPs from the region of watching from a distance while the people were being mistreated by the government through taxes and economic atrocities.
“Have our MPs (from Mt Kenya) forgotten our people? Why are they watching from a distance when the people of Mt Kenya are being pushed to the corner? Taxes are high, businesses have been closed down, we have empty markets in our regions, and the economy is at a standstill. The Mt Kenya people are feeling the heat,” Mwenje added.
Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu says despite supporting the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party, the people were lied to.
“I was among those who campaigned for UDA, and as a result, our people were lied to. We were duped. I contributed to the predicaments the Mt Kenya region and the country is facing. I want to offer my heartfelt apologies to the people of Mt Kenya. I admit to my mistakes and it will never happen again I was also lied to,” Waititu said.
He says he decided to resign from UDA after realizing that the party lied to Kenyans during the campaign period, failing to fulfil its promises.
“When I realized the mess that Ruto is and his lies, I resigned from UDA. I am now with wananchi. This is the first time the Mt Kenya region has been lied to and voted an outsider. We will not make that mistake again. 2027 we will be fielding our own candidate. The Mt Kenya region must be respected We will champion the one man, one vote, one shilling mantra in the division of revenue. We made a mistake by failing to pass the BBI Bill. We will work on that now,” Waititu added.
Thuo Mathenge, popularly known as Wanguku, has called on Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to unite with Uhuru ahead of the 2027 General Elections, even as the region looks to field its own Presidential candidate.
“I am calling upon the people of Mt Kenya to unite. We will not be cowed into submission by this regime. We should not stop at Limuru but the meetings should spread across all the counties of Mt Kenya. Gachagua should move away from the media and look for Uhuru Kenyatta and should both unite the region for its prosperity,” Wanguku said.
By K24
