The Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party on Friday continued its support for Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, with Kalonzo Musyoka assuring him on Friday that members of the opposition would oppose any move to impeach him.
Mr Kalonzo declared that "this is the first time I am sitting next to the DP and I confess that I admire his fighting spirit".
He added, "To those dishonourable members of parliament (dishonourable according to him for allowing the controversial Finance Bill 2024 to inch closer to becoming law), I say this: If you try to move an impeachment motion against Gachagua, the leadership and members of the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party will shoot it down".
He added that the only motion the opposition formation in Parliament and its leadership will consider is one that seeks the joint removal of both President William Ruto and Mr Gachagua.
Kalonzo's stance set political tongues wagging as even former President Uhuru Kenyatta is technically a member of the Azimio brigade, which he backed to succeed Mr Odinga in the August 9, 2022 general election but narrowly lost to Dr Ruto. Mr Gachagua has been manoeuvring to reconcile with Mr Kenyatta to the point of publicly apologising to the former leader for demeaning remarks against him, his family and business interests during the campaign period.
Mr Kalonzo's stance also comes two weeks after opposition leader Raila Odinga threw his weight behind Mr Gachagua's push for one man, one vote, one shilling mantra in a move that raises eyebrows over a looming alliance between Mt Kenya region and Azimio.
The mantra has put the DP on a collision course with President William Ruto's inner circle led by Interior CS Kithure Kindiki and the President's Chief Economic Advisor David Ndii, who oppose it.
It was also not lost on political pundits that Kalonzo's statement came after he was recently hosted by a cross section of the Kikuyu Council of Elders led by its chairman, Wachira Kiago, where they jointly issued a statement saying they were forging a mutually beneficial cooperation.
After the meeting in Kiambu County on April 4, Mr Kalonzo said he wanted to "bridge the historical gap between the Agikuyu and Akamba who treat each other as athonua (in-laws)", while Mr Kiago declared that "the cooperation between us will grow from strength to strength and bring in new horizons that will consolidate meaningful gains for now and the future".
He was speaking in Ruiru during the consecration of Benson Gathungu, a radio comedian known as Muthee Kiengei, as a bishop for his Jesus Compassion Ministry after he broke ranks with the African Independent Pentecostal Churches of Africa (AIPCA).
The new bishop pledged his full support to Mr Gachagua, saying "we will never tire of supporting you and if your opponents continue to push you to the wall, feel free to always run back home here in Mount Kenya and we will follow you in any direction you want us to go".
The event was attended by Gachagua, Kalonzo, Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga, DAP Kenya leader Eugene Wamalwa, Kiambu Senator Karungo Thang'wa, Ruiru MP Simon King'ara, former Kiambu governors Ferdinand Waititu and James Nyoro and former Laikipia Woman Representative Cate Waruguru.
Mr Waititu spilled the beans saying "We in Mt Kenya must at all times protect our victorious Gachagua from the wars being waged on it by President William Ruto's close allies in partnership with some of our traitors here in the mountain".
Mr Waititu said, "We now regret how and why we supported Dr Ruto in 2022, especially with the biggest fallacy of our time of going into the election without a political party and also with a pre-negotiated written pact with him".
He said, "We are looking at the options available in 2027 which include Mr Kalonzo and others as possible candidates with whom we will reach an agreement to correct our 2022 mistake".
Mr Gachagua has lately been complaining through himself and allies that there is a plot to undermine and sabotage him, saying those behind it are "some individuals close to the President as well as Tukunia, Ngati, Komerera and Kunda Ngutume (good-for-nothing traitors) from among our people in Mt Kenya".
In turn, some Mt Kenya politicians such as Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wa, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri, Murang'a.
Senator Joe Nyutu and Gatanga MP Edward Muriu have publicly rebuked him, with some calling for him to quit the government and join the opposition and be sacked from his position and replaced by Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro as his running mate in 2027.
Mr Gachagua maintained that his efforts to unite the Mt Kenya region were unstoppable "and I don't see any reason why anybody or any quarter should feel uncomfortable if my community wants to speak with one voice to remain relevant".
He said "it is only when we are united at the grassroots level that we can talk about uniting the country", adding that "I will unite this region and also work with others to cultivate national unity".
