By Metro News Team
President William Ruto’s nomination of Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof Kithure Kindiki to replace impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is promising a major political shift in the populous Mt Kenya region.
The region that has remained critical in successive elections is made up of Mt Kenya East and West.
Mt Kenya East made up of three counties of Meru, Embu and Tharaka Nithi has always lamented for receiving the short end of the stick from the dominant West that is made up of Laikipia, Murang’a, Kiambu, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Nyandarua and Nakuru.
For successive elections, the East has always played the second fiddle as the West call shot in major political decisions in forming governments and enjoys the largesse that comes with it.
But the nomination of Prof Kindiki that was preceded by his installment as the spokesperson of the larger Mt Kenya region is set to radically alter the region’s political landscape going into 2027 General Elections.
the Meru, Embu and Tharaka-Nithi politicians to abandon Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and instead line behind Prof Kindiki has hinted at a possible change in the region’s political dynamic.
At least 48 MPs drawn from the larger Mt Kenya have threw their weight behind Prof Kindiki, abandoning Mr Gachagua in a surprise move that promises a possible power shift.
“Given the prevailing state of affairs and the urgency of the mission ahead, there is a need to have a link that will create a nexus between us and the National Executive on matters development.
Accordingly, we, as the elected leaders from this region and its Diaspora on our own behalf and that of our people, unanimously resolve that our link to the National Government be the Cabinet Secretary for the Interior and National Administration Prof. Kithure Kindiki, whose responsibilities includes the coordination of National Government functions across Country,” declared the 48 MPs recently.
East has always complained of being abandoned after every election, amid perceived sidelining in development projects and plum government appointments compared to the West.
The political rivalry by the two sides has always been captured by the imagery of a bridge. They say the East has been used by the political and business elite of the west to get to government. But are immediately forgotten until after the next election.
In the lead-up to the 2022 presidential election, Mr Gachagua, who is from the West, upstaged the favourite for running mate, Prof Kindiki from the East, after confrontational talks that nearly degenerated to scuffles as the factions dug in.
The politics of East versus West was a major issue during the tenure of retired President Mwai Kibaki. Mr Kibaki is said to have received a lot of resistance and flak from the political and business elite from the west when he mainstreamed leaders from the east into his government.
Mr Francis Muthaura, from Meru, was the Head of Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet for nearly the entire Kibaki period.
When the International Criminal Court (ICC) confirmed that Mr Muthaura had a case to answer in January 2012 and he stepped down, he was replaced by Mr Francis Kimemia from Nyandarua.
Mr Kiraitu Murungi and the late David Mwiraria, also from Meru, held pride of place in President Kibaki’s government initially as Ministers of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and Finance respectively.
But there was too much opposition to the power they wielded and eventually were suspended and returned towards the end of President Kibaki’s first term clearly wounded and shadows of their earlier selves. Mr Murungi was named Energy minister, while Mr Mwiraria was appointed to the Environment docket.
They were replaced in their previous dockets by Ms Martha Karua (Justice and Constitutional Affairs) from Kirinyaga and Mr Amos Kimunya (Nyandarua) and later Mr Uhuru Kenyatta (from Kiambu) at Treasury.
It is also said that some of the reluctance of some key politicians in the west to support Kibaki was allegedly because of “too much dalliance” with leaders from Meru, Embu and Tharaka-Nithi.
Under President William Ruto, the Mt Kenya counties and their diaspora are equally represented in government. Specifically, each of the east counties has representatives in Cabinet, among PSs and other key positions in government.
Prof Kithure Kindiki (from Tharaka-Nithi) holds the premier position of Interior and Coordination of the National Administration, while Mr Justin Muturi (Embu) is the CS Public Service and Human Capital Development and Mr Eric Muuga (Meru) is in charge of the Water and Sanitation docket.
Analysts, however, believe that the installation of CS Kindiki was more of a plot to tame Mr Gachagua, who is seen to be scheming to take away the region from President Ruto’s stranglehold.
