Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua addresses residents of Magunga in Homa Bay County on August 29, 2024.
A rift in the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) over a renewed plot to tame Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has widened following President William Ruto's just concluded tour of Nyanza.
On Sunday, UDA interim Secretary General Hassan Omar claimed National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah is tasked to tame Mr Gachagua's perceived isolationist ideologies.
Mr Omar described Mr Gachagua as "abrasively territorial and very lacking in reconciliatory demeanour of politics and who does not embrace others.”
But Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga, Kirinyaga Senator Kamau Murango and Maragua MP Mary wa Maua said the onslaught against the Deputy President from within the ruling party for advocating Mt Kenya unity is misguided and will backfire.
"Ichung'wah responds to Mr Gachagua on behalf of the President who feels alarmed that his deputy is mired in preaching the gospel of Mt Kenya and area people detaching itself and themselves respectively from nationhood," Mr Omar said.
"Ichung'wah responds on behalf of the president to all those who try to partition government and the country. He responds on behalf of the president whose declared position is that of bringing the country together,” Mr Omar added.
The former Senator also said Ichung'wah's stated positions against Mr Gachagua are restatement of the president’s “great passions in upholding the unity of the country, not dividing it.
Mr Omar, who recently ousted Cleophas Malala as UDA's Secretary General, said Mr Ichung'wah will continue to speak hard truth to all opponents of the President.
"Ichung'wa is young, dynamic and focused leader of our ruling party. He speaks the truth to these divisive leaders. Those who have been laying traps to trap Odinga," he added.
Mr Omar was responding to Nation’s query on why the Ichung'wah came out in Nyanza to attack Mr Gachagua during the four-day presidential tour.
Mr Ichung'wah had cautioned that those who had declared that they will lay traps to capture Raila Odinga will end up snaring themselves.
Mr Gachagua had publicly declared that he had set up traps at State House to block Mr Odinga from accessing the government.
The Deputy President has since renounced his criticism of the opposition leader after Mr Odinga’s allies joined President Ruto's Cabinet.
He has also supported Mr Odinga's bid for the African Union Commission chairmanship.
However, even after Mr Gachagua closed ranks with Mr Odinga and both announced support for one man one shilling one vote formula of resource distribution, Mr Ichung'wa has been hammering the DP.
Mr Omar observed that the people of Nyanza showed Mr Gachagua great hearts of tolerance by giving him resounding applauses every time he was introduced to address residents during stopovers.
"Nyanza people responded to Gachagua's divisions with warmth. Hope that warmth will change him going forward," added the official who toppled Malala in circumstances the deputy president criticised.
Mr Malala was perceived to be Mr Gachagua's loyalist and was ejected in a boardroom coup and replaced with Mr Omar.
The president is the party leader while Gachagua is his deputy in the party too.
Mr Gachagua was to later lament that he was not notified on the decision to eject Mr Malala.
“As a deputy party leader I deserved to be informed. I had intended to attend that meeting that sacked Malala but was told that it was convened at 5am and by 6am the task of replacing him had been dealt with,” the DP said at the time.
Mr Gachagua said "that is not how a ruling party should behave".
Mr Omar told Nation.Africa that "president's feelings are also communicated by several others who serve in government and the party in various capacities".
In the recent past, Mr Gachagua's opposition has been building up around Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, president's economic advisors David Ndii and Moses Kuria as well as Kirinyaga governor Ms Anne Waiguru.
However, the Nyeri governor on Sunday told Nation.Africa that "it is obvious that there are people in UDA and government speaking out of turn and acting in utter impunity."
Mr Kahiga wondered what is being sought as the trophy "in attacking a man who has since become the pillar of unity and the custodian of president Ruto's popularity in the mountain."
“We will not tire to announce that anyone who attacks Mr Gachagua is in essence executing an act of aggression against all Mt Kenya residents,” he added.
Wa Maua said "the fools we are will be used to attack our own leader so that the divisive cards can clandestinely be played".
The Maragua MP urged Mt Kenya residents to remain vigilant against machinations of divide and rule and call out all being used to plant seeds of despondency against their political leader who is Gachagua.
Murango said "it is only in Kenya where fishermen get busy fishing from the basket containing the catches".
Mr Murango said all Mt Kenya senators had last Tuesday held discussions with Mr Gachagua and promised to work together for the benefit of the people.
He said "the political problem facing Mr Gachagua is emanating from the national assembly".
Kikuyu Council of elders Chairman Mr Wachira Kiago said continued attack on Mr Gachagua was backfiring against President Ruto.
Mr Kiago said "the incessant attacks on the person of Gachagua was making area voters sympathise with the Deputy President and eroding popularity of the president".
"The president knows better that Mt Kenya voters sympathised with him on grounds that he was being persecuted and demeaned by the then president Uhuru Kenyatta," he said.
Mr Kiago wondered how the president and his loyalists are not figuring out that Mt Kenya will find it easier to sympathise with Gachagua as their son more than they can sympathise with an outsider".
"My understanding that which is shared by other elders is that Mr Gachagua is telling us to unite for the sake of our shared aspirations and that is exactly what we are going to do," Mr Kiago said.
He further said he is yet to hear Mr Gachagua insisting on unity to hurt the country or the neighbours, "hence why our unity as a region is not negotiable".
