Gachagua warns Sakaja on claims of ‘persecuting’ Mt Kenya businesspeople 

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has admonished Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja for allegedly persecuting business people from Mt Kenya.

"We do not want his high speed (in making decisions) and I have summoned him for a sitting...It is a no for any of his decisions that might have negative effect on our people," he said.

Mr Gachagua added: "We made you governor and we are vigilant on our interests" and "we must get involved in those decisions that have an effect on our people".

Mr Sakaja had on November 23, while being interviewed on Inooro TV acknowledged the contribution of Mt Kenya voters in his win.

Tribal consideration

 "My major competitor (Polycarp Igathe, Jubilee) was from your region...your own son. But you denied him your votes, blinded yourself to the tribal consideration and chose me," he said.

Mr Sakaja was declared winner after he garnered 699,392  votes against Igathe's  573,518 votes.

Speaking in Nyeri County on Monday, Mr Gachagua revealed that he is the one who sat down voters from Mt Kenya and persuaded them to embrace Sakaja during the August 9 General Election.

"I want Sakaja to note that all decisions that will negatively affect Mt Kenya people in Nairobi must be discussed. I have to be involved. We will not accept anything that troubles our businessmen," he said.

He referred to City Planning department that is mooting a matatu transport structuring, a move that will see some terminus relocated.

Mr Gachagua referred Mr Sakaja to Nakuru's Susan Kihikia whom he acknowledged as a champion of Mt Kenya interests.

"I want to appreciate Ms Kihika who is a good daughter of ours...She found the matatu transport investors chased out of the town to a forest by governor Lee Kinyanjui...I had gone there and sensitised them on how to vote," he said.

In a thinly veiled warning to Sakaja, the Deputy President added that "I told the Nakuru people that their destiny was in their own hands...that they had the full powers to send Mr Kinyanjui to that forest and they bring back their matatus to town".

He said that the persecuted Nakuru businessmen heeded his counsel and voted out Mr Kinyanjui and brought in Ms Kihika who has gone ahead and alliwed the investors back to town.

"I am in full support of Ms Kihika even when she is being troubled here and there by court cases...I will stand with her because she is our good daughter," he said.

Mr Gachagua said he will ensure that "Sakaja who is a good youth...slows his pace and gets on a roundtable to adopt a consensus position on how to treat out business people".

In the Inooro interview Mr Sakaja had said that "I will properly say thank you in word and deed. You will see me say thank you in a manner commensurate".

He said that besides his deputy who is Njoroge Muchiri from Nyandarua county, 40 percent of his Cabinet is composed of Mt Kenya personalities.

"I will continue paying back. We will walk together. Even as we serve all the others in the capital. We have 43 communities," he said.

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