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Ichung’wah, Kiunjuri hit back at Gachagua over ‘enemy of Mt Kenya’ claims
Leader of Majority in the National Assembly Kimani Ichung’wah (right) and Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri.
Leader of Majority in the National Assembly Kimani Ichung’wah (Kikuyu) and Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri are pushing back against claims by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua that they are the biggest enemies of the Mt Kenya region, allegedly collaborating with President William Ruto to harm residents and destroy businesses.
The latest political development comes as tensions between Mr Gachagua and MPs allied to President Ruto continue to intensify, fuelled by the recent deadly clashes between demonstrators and police that left 38 Kenyans dead, hundreds injured and many others arrested.
While on a tour of the United States, Mr Gachagua accused Mr Ichung’wah and Mr Kiunjuri of colluding with the government to oppress the Mt Kenya community.
In response, the two MPs dismissed the claims, calling them reckless, misleading and self-serving.
Mr Ichung’wah stated that Mr Gachagua has no one to blame for his political decline but himself.
“His political downfall was not engineered by anybody else,” Mr Ichung’wah said, adding that Gachagua’s actions and attitude led to his impeachment last year.
Mr Kiunjuri also criticised the former DP, accusing him of spreading falsehoods and promoting a toxic political culture.
“It is truly regrettable that a person who aspires to lead the Mount Kenya region appears to have no agenda, instead thriving on incitement, dissent and empty rhetoric,” he said.
Mr Kiunjuri challenged the Kenyans Mr Gachagua addressed in the US to review his public statements and assess how often he has actually spoken about development issues or the challenges facing the region and the country at large.
During a meeting with Kenyans in the US, Mr Gachagua accused the two MPs of being government collaborators, blaming them for recent police crackdowns in Mount Kenya during the protests.
“My greatest pain is the collaborators our own leaders, who speak as we do but are working with him [President Ruto] to destroy the community. That is my greatest pain as a leader from the region,” said Mr Gachagua.
But Mr Kiunjuri warned that Mr Gachagua’s politics are drifting dangerously toward anarchy.
“He doesn’t hesitate to criminalise others’ choices even calling for persecution of those he dislikes. His brand of politics must be held to account,” said Mr Kiunjuri.
Bitter and stuck
Mr Ichung’wah described Mr Gachagua’s accusations as “absurd” while Mr Kiunjuri accused him of being bitter and unable to move beyond past political grievances.
The fiery exchanges within the Mount Kenya political elite come just two years before the 2027 General Election, a contest that promises to be a battle royale, with Mr Gachagua eyeing regional dominance and national relevance.
As political temperatures in the region rise, Mr Kiunjuri maintained that he will not be intimidated.
“We may have political differences, but he must separate those from hate, incitement, and threats. Not too long ago, he incited Mount Kenya people against musicians who simply attended an event hosted by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki,” he said.
According to Mr Kiunjuri, that incitement led to harassment of some musicians, prompting him to question how the former DP could claim to be the custodian of the community’s personal and political choices.
He urged Mount Kenya residents to be wary of any leader leading the community toward isolation through constant hate speech and division.
