Allies of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua are avoiding direct confrontation with his successor, Prof Kithure Kindiki, in order not to play into the hands of the President’s side that would relish such a miscalculation.
With Mt Kenya residents already hostile to the President
William Ruto for the ouster of Mr Gachagua, the former deputy president’s camp is keen not to walk into the trap of playing up Mt Kenya East versus West divisions that going after Prof Kindiki, from Tharaka Nithi, would elicit.
Political commentator and university don Peter Kagwanja reads a tactical strategy in the way Gachagua camp is treating Prof Kindiki and refusing to be led into the trap of taking on him.
"It is a delicate balancing act in Gachagua's camp. Prof Kindiki being a fellow mountaineer comes carrying the flag of Mt Kenya East. This is the East that State House strategists want to annex for their 2027 agenda. Gachagua camp attacking Kindiki would mean helping State House succeed," Prof Kagwanja argues.
According to Prof Kagwanja, the "Gachagua wing got no alternative strategy in dealing with Kindiki apart from accepting reality, learning to love and support him.”
Tellingly, Senators John Methu (Nyandarua), Joe Nyutu (Murang'a) as well as MPs Onesmus Ngogoyo (Kajiado North), Benjamin Gathiru (Embakasi Central), Gathoni wa Muchomba (Githunguri) and Njeri Maina (Kirinyaga woman rep) have insisted they have no problem with Prof Kindiki but are only opposed to those scheming to divide the region.
"We have no issues with Prof Kindiki. I dare say he is a nice, humble and dedicated son from Mt Kenya. We wish him well. Our issue is exclusively with those using him in a divide-and-rule plot. Those who want him submissive and with no voice for himself and us," said Mr Methu.
The Senator added: "Even if Kindiki called us to a consultative meeting as Mt Kenya leaders, we would go. Even if invited by Gachagua, we would also go because we do not begrudge him."
Mr Ngogoyo also told Nation.Africa that their issue is not with Kindiki, describing the DP as a nice man and committed leader.
“Those of us who support Gachagua have a duty to also support Kindiki as one of our own. A man who will be working under tough conditions of being dictated to...instead of hating him, we sympathise with him,” Mr Ngogoyo added.
"Let us leave our son to enjoy his life as the appointed DP while we support our Gachagua who is the elected DP. We will not interfere with Kindiki and should he start getting sidelined, we will defend him," Mr Nyutu told Nation Africa.
Mr Nyutu added: "As the recognised heir of the presidency should the highest office get vacant, Prof Kindiki presents us great potential by virtue of being only a heartbeat away from ultimate power."
Ms Wa Muchomba said Mt Kenya is united in respecting Prof Kindiki but “not those who have been trying hard to divide the mountain”.
We will circle and get him
"Kindiki is not the one overtaxing, dividing, insulting our clergy, messing with the education funding model and national healthcare insurance. We won't lose focus. We know who is our problem and even if he hides behind Kindiki, we will circle and get at him," she added.
Ms Maina said their problem is with those who run the show behind the scenes, and not Prof Kindiki.
"In this government, there are those loyalists the powers that be consult and there are those that are used when there is a political programme to be executed. Unfortunately, in Mt Kenya, Kindiki risks being one of those who are used. We must remain vigilant to demand he refuses being weaponized,” Ms Maina added.
Mr Gachagua, while avoiding to mention Prof Kindiki by name and title, has maintained that "I have no issues with anyone including those now in office”.
“What I beseech them is to work for the people. If I were the problem and I'm out of the way, then we should see supersonic speed in honouring pre-election promises,” the former DP said.
But Prof Kindiki has not exercised similar caution in the few public speeches that he has made as he fights to carve his sphere of influence.
During his address to the nation on November 7, a week after he was sworn into office, Prof Kindiki remarked that his oath-taking day “was not for many speeches owing to its official nature".
This was viewed as a cheeky dig at Mr Gachagua who went on a tirade on September 13, 2022, when he and Dr Ruto were sworn into office.
Mr Gachagua seized that moment to give the then outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta a tongue-lashing. He has since apologised to Mr Kenyatta for waging a political war against him.
In his subsequent public addresses, Prof Kindiki has appeared to talk with some of the impeachment grounds against Gachagua in mind.
He has spoken against tribalism, rooted for equity in resource allocation, respect for the Head of State and security agencies, grievances that critics of Mr Gachagua used against him during a motion to impeach him in Parliament.
According to Mbeere North MP Geoffrey Ruku, attacking Kindiki will be tantamount to fighting development and Gachagua and his battalion ought to know that.
"We need to cease too much politics. Mr Kindiki is the one in the office and is now our senior-most representative in the executive. If those supporting an impeached deputy were to start attacking Kindiki, they would cause us a great disservice of having mega projects moved beyond our reach. That won't go well with our people especially those in the Mt Kenya East."
Thika Town MP Alice Ng'ang'a also suggested that the government goes where it is loved, and that making noise would poison relations.
“We are all united against fighting Kindiki,” said Ms Ng’anga’a, who is among those who voted to impeach Mr Gachagua.
Former Mt Kenya Members of County Assemblies caucus Chairman Charles Mwangi said Mr Gachagua would be lonely if he made fighting Prof Kindiki an agenda.
"You cannot expect Gachagua and loyalists to love Kindiki. They must be seeing him as a traitor who allowed himself to fight and bring down one of their own," Mr Mwangi argued.
Mr Mwangi added: "The problem is that all those elected leaders supporting Gachagua are members of the ruling UDA party whose party leader is President Ruto, deputised by Prof Kindiki."
“The party's collective responsibility still binds Gachagua allies to respect the party, its leaders, its structures and decisions,” Mr Mwangi said.
Mr Mwangi observed: "So far it is hard enough to support Gachagua when the President was the author of his impeachment and that is why there are plans underway to de-whip his allies from leadership of House committees.”
He said Gachagua loyalists are aware that State House can flex muscles to hound critics and deploy State machinery to beat Mr Gachagua’s supporters into submission.
Mr Gathiru told Nation.Africa that the State has since started harassing them for sticking with Gachagua, hence spreading fear to others who desire to join them but are afraid of being persecuted.
"The agents trailing us once in a while pop up on our phone calls and declare that all in UDA have got no choice but to respect the President and Kindiki," Mr Gathiru claimed.
