Mt Kenya leaders after divisive polls: Uhuru is not our enemy

Mt Kenya leaders and opinion shapers are rooting for reconciliation to heal divisions wrought on the region by the highly divisive August 9 General Election. 

Efforts to mend the bridges burnt in the bruising electoral contest have, however, been stymied somewhat by the move by Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition flagbearer Raila Odinga to challenge the declaration of Dr William Ruto as President-elect. 

The Mountain region defied President Uhuru Kenyatta’s backing for Azimio and voted overwhelmingly for Dr Ruto, who garnered 77 per cent of the wider Gikuyu, Embu and Meru votes, against Mr Odinga’s 22 per cent.

Mt Kenya Foundation chairman Peter Munga, who rooted for Mr Odinga, is among those who are taking the conciliatory path.

“There is no competition, only preference ... we felt that Mr Odinga was a better candidate than his competitors, not that we were pushing for class wars or competing against our people,” Mr Munga said.

Read: Of Mt Kenya Azimio politicians who hid support for Raila but still lost

“We’ve had several multi-party general elections in which Mt Kenya had several contestants. After the exercise is concluded, we’ve never come out divided since what unites is stronger than politics, and it’s no different in this particular election,” the business magnate added.

One voice

Dr Ruto’s deputy, Mr Rigathi Gachagua, said efforts to heal divisions in Central Kenya have begun and that soon the region will be speaking in one voice.

“We have already started the healing process. That is the reason you saw us last Sunday visit the church in Kiambu to preach the gospel of unity. We shall start by making sure we insulate President Kenyatta against any witch-hunt. We are not treating him as an enemy,” he said.

The Deputy President-elect expressed optimism that those who surrounded the President and kept feeding him “fake news” that all was okay in the region – thereby leading him to a conflict with his own people – would repent and join the rest in pursuing the region’s unity.

Mr Gachagua said the Kenya Kwanza leadership would reach out to all the pillars of Mt Kenya’s Azimio campaigns.

“We know Mr Odinga had his 3 per cent followers in the Mountain and the President together with Ms Karua added him 13 per cent to get 15.9 per cent. That is the percentage to which we are reaching out, to come back to the fold,” he said.

Mr Odinga’s running mate, Ms Martha Karua, while speaking in Kirinyaga County on August 20, said: “We shall abide by the Supreme Court’s ruling on the case challenging the declaration of Dr Ruto (as President-elect) and when the dust settles, we shall come together and move forward as a team,” she said.

Read: MCAs bloodbath as Mt Kenya voters settle on fresh faces

The Narc Kenya party leader added that “differing in politics does not mean the divisions should become enmity that divides the people and stifles unity of purpose”.

Ms Karua said the Azimio wing in the Mt Kenya region has constantly rallied its supporters to maintain peace and pursue the legal route to express displeasure and once the apex court has reached its verdict, all must abide by the outcome and move forward.

Odinga dynamics

It, however, remains to be seen how the Mt Kenya region will react if Mr Odinga is declared the winner.

Kikuyu Council of Elders Chairman Wachira Kiago said the region would have no problem with a Raila win.

“If that happens either by the court declaring Mr Odinga the President-elect or by ordering a rerun that will endorse him to lead Kenya, we shall still unite, only that it will be harder than it is now,” said Mr Kiago.

“Our people would in that case be united by good governance, which is what we have been yearning for in a Mr Odinga presidency. The continuation of President Kenyatta as our kingpin with direct access to the incoming president would also afford us the luxury of collectively belonging in the government,” he said.

Career administrator Joseph Kaguthi said Mt Kenya unity is a complex issue that will be determined by the Supreme Court ruling.

“It is easier to forge unity if Dr Ruto’s declared win is upheld. Having 15 per cent join 84 per cent is easier than mobilising 84 per cent to accept that 15 per cent won. 

“It would be interesting to see Ms Karua (should Mr Odinga emerge victorious) becoming the Mt Kenya regional leader and commencing efforts to win over the majority who voted against her,” he said.

He added that a Mr Odinga victory would require the goodwill of area political actors since “all political leaders in the area were elected under Dr Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance party.

Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri said the quest for unity should start in the 13th Parliament.

“The unity being sought should start in Parliament, where all elected leaders should come together under a Mt Kenya parliamentary group regardless of their sponsoring parties,” said Mr Kiunjuri.

Read: Mt Kenya bigwigs who paid the price for sticking with Uhuru

“We must first appreciate the fact that we are not going to have one of our own in State House. The only platform we have to push our case is Parliament. That is where the first unity drive should be concentrated. Our unity in Parliament will spill down to our people in form of development,” he said.

Deep divisions

Jubilee Party Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni said the divisions are deep and complicated.

“When those of us in Jubilee are faced with a situation where we were not winning even in the polling stations that we vote in as area representatives ... When you see nearly all of us who are critical pillars of the President go down ... this is something that could take us a long time to realign,” he said.

Mt Kenya musicians’ association chairman Epha Maina revealed that they are already working to bring their members together. He said seasoned crooners lost fans after joining Azimio campaigns.

“Even though some were in it for money and business, things got so emotional that fans branded them as traitors. We want to woo our fans back,” he said.

Gema chairman Lawi Imathiu echoed the unity message.

“We want the kind of unity that gets our jobless youths livelihoods, educates our children and develops our economic ventures, not that unity that whips us behind individuals,” he said.

The political divisions in Mt Kenya were so deep that they left families, businesses and other social units ripped apart.

Relatives quarrelled openly and some businesses were reportedly boycotted for political reasons.