President William Ruto and his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta chat during the consecration and installation of Bishop Peter Kimani Ndung'u in Embu County on November 17, 2024.
If cheers and jeers could choose leaders, the king of Mount Kenya would have been crowned in Embu on Saturday, and it would not be someone in government.
At the episcopal ordination and installation of Rev Peter Kimani as the fourth bishop of Embu at the University of Embu grounds, leaders in three emerging spheres of influence around Mt Kenya coalesced.
The crowd seemed to hand its dominance to retired President Uhuru Kenyatta and, to some extent, impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
This was bound to happen as it was the first time that President William Ruto and Mr Gachagua met at a public function following the latter’s impeachment. It did not help matters that Dr Ruto and Mr Gachagua did not greet each other was proof enough that this was no ordinary church attendance for the leaders.
Add the fact that the recently inaugurated Deputy President Kithure Kindiki was present, and the result was a presentation of who calls the shots. The crowd appeared to give a clear answer, and there were times when the Church side had to rein in the masses.
It was a day of humiliation for Mr Gachagua as he got no chance to speak. To make matters worse, none of the leaders who spoke – not Dr Ruto, Prof Kindiki, Mr Kenyatta or area governor Cecily Mbarire – recognised him.
However, the crowd recognised Mr Gachagua in its own way. Whenever his name was mentioned by the clerics, the congregants could applaud.
Exchanged pleasantries
Seated metres away from the VIP tent, Mr Gachagua exchanged pleasantries with his allies and the clerics. He was among the early ones to arrive at the event, though he sat at the front of the congregants’ tent, and not the leaders’ tent. This was clearly an unfamiliar territory for a man who had occupied nothing but the VIP enclosures for the last two years.
Mr Gachagua was accompanied by Githunguri MP Gathoni wa Muchomba and former Kiambu governor Ferdinand Waititu.
In the leaders’ tent, Dr Ruto and Prof Gachagua sat alongside Mr Kenyatta.
Since his retirement, Mr Kenyatta has avoided issuing political messages publicly, keeping the restive mountain guessing while Mr Gachagua sought to take up the mantle.
However, Prof Kindiki’s rise to the DP’s office now complicates matters, despite his lukewarm reception at Saturday’s event.
This gave a chance to the congregation to show their disquiet with the progress made by the government as President Ruto got to feel the region’s political pulse.
The event came two days after the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) issued a hard-hitting statement against the government. The bishops hit out at the Kenya Kwanza administration for high taxation, failure to implement election pledges, corruption, high cost of living and a reversal of democratic gains.
President Ruto had a hard time explaining his development agenda as his speech was marked with loud murmuring when he mentioned his administration’s efforts in education, housing and health.
On the other hand, Mr Kenyatta’s speech was warmly received with cheer and laughter as he sought to distance himself from national politics.
“I don’t have many words to say these days. I just watch television and listen to the radio. Let us pray for our country and the cooperation of leaders,” he said amid applause.
The retired president, who struck a reconciliatory tone, said the country could not move forward amid division, tribalism and wrangling among leaders.
Tribalism
“Let us desist from tribalism and unite as Kenyans. Kenya cannot succeed with divisions and hatred. If leaders respect one another and Kenyans they will be respected,” said Mr Kenyatta.
The varied reception accorded to the leaders played out from the beginning when Mr Kenyatta received a rousing welcome as he made his way to the front row, temporarily disrupting the ceremony. It took an intervention from Archbishop Anthony Muheria who reminded the worshipers that they were in a church service and that they should maintain silence.
The mention of Mr Gachagua’s name attracted loud cheers numerous times, despite him not having a chance to address the congregation.
DP Kindiki, who ushered in both Mr Kenyatta and Dr Ruto to speak, called on the Church to pray for the peace and prosperity of the country.
“We wish for the prayers of the church so that our country is peaceful. I plead with the church to continue praying for harmony,” Prof Kindiki said.
President Ruto used the occasion to courteously respond to the Catholic bishops, referring to their stern message as “greetings”, a word that has come to mean being criticised by a mob.
On Friday, he had warned the church leaders to be “factual lest they become victims of what they accuse others of”.
“This week, I have had very good engagements with the Catholic bishops… I received the greetings from the Catholic bishops. I should attend a service in the Catholic church tomorrow to complete this engagement,” the President said in his opening remarks in an effort to ease tension.
Dr Ruto, in a covert effort to shift the blame to Mr Kenyatta’s tenure, sought to clarify why he has a difficult task to clean the mess of the former government.
He addressed the teething issues of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), Affordable Housing and the Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC) launched during the Jubilee administration under the Big Four Agenda.
He said he was carefully implementing the work they started with retired President Uhuru.
“I am working hard to do the work President Uhuru Kenyatta left for me,” he said amid murmuring from the congregation.
President Ruto assured Kenyans of his commitment to ensure the Social Health Insurance Fund works for the benefit of all Kenyans.
Universal Health Coverage
“The faults pointed out by the Catholic Church will be rectified. I want to ensure that healthcare is not a preserve of the rich. Universal Health Coverage will make a difference and no Kenyan will be left behind,” said Dr Ruto.
He added: “We started the CBC (Competency-Based- Curriculum) in 2017. We have bought books, and are building 16,000 classrooms. We have employed 46,000 JSS (Junior Secondary School) teachers and we are adding another 20,000 teachers this December.”
He said the construction of 160,000 units under the affordable housing programme was on course across the country arguing that it will create jobs and ‘propel our country forward’.
Embu Governor and ruling party chairperson Cecily Mbarire set the pace to defend President Ruto’s administration by enumerating several development projects being implemented by the national government in the county.
The ordination of Rev Kimani as the fourth Bishop of Embu also marked 100 years of the Catholic Church evangelisation in Embu.
Other leaders present included Embu Senator Alexander Mundigi, Embu South MP Nebart Muriuki, Runyenjes MP Eric Muchangi and Gitonga Mukunji of Manyatta constituency.
