Rigathi Gachagua's Future in Limbo as Mt Kenya Leaders Unveils Uhuru Kenyatta to Lead Haki Coalition

 

Photo: Martha Karua/Uhuru Kenyatta/Jeremiah Kioni. 

A section of the leaders from Mount Kenya region has unveiled a new political formation dubbed HAKI coalition. Mt.Kenya leaders have formed HAKI Coalition to fight for the rights of the people from the central region. The formation of the coalition marked the culmination of the highly publicised Limuru 3 conference that was held on Friday, May 18, in Limuru, Kiambu county. NARC Kenya party leader Martha Karua, Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni and former Laikipia governor Nderitu Muriithi led other politicians and residents from Mt Kenya in championing the region's interests during the conference. The leaders at the conference unanimously agreed that the Haki Coalition will be headed by former president Uhuru Kenyatta, who will be advocating for the interests of the people of central Kenya What was discussed during the conference? Kioni, Karua and Nderitu castigated President William Ruto's government for imposing hefty taxes on Kenyans and abandoning millions of hustlers on whose backs he crawled to rise to power. " The people of this region have noted the deliberate efforts by the government to economically, politically, and socio-culturally eliminate, emasculate, deprive and impoverish us through aristocratic policies similar to those of the colonial era," Kioni said. To fight for their rightful space in Kenya's political spectrum, the Haki coalition founders fronted Uhuru to advance the region's agenda and wade off political influence and dominance from outside the expansive vote-rich region.  In unison, the Limuru 3 convenes sneers at DP Gachagua's leadership and purported representation of the region, terming him "a failure and puppet" who was "used" by President William Ruto to ascend to power. Kioni, in a voice of certainty, declared Gachagua's influence and relevance "over" and asked Mt Kenya residents to join the Haki coalition to forge a new political path for the community. Gachagua has been on a constant and taunting firefighting mission in a bid to repulse the increasing resistance against his leadership. Youthful leaders from the region, led by Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, Kimani Ichungw'ah (Kikuyu), and Public CS Moses Kuria, appear to have drifted away from him and have differed with him several times in public on a number of issues. For instance, early this week, Ichungw'ah and Kuria openly told off the DP over his push for a one-man, one-shilling narrative, warning that it was a divisive agenda that a leader of the calibre of deputy president should think of advancing. “This is a good debate to have but needs to be engaged from a point of knowledge and empirical data, not emotions...because there are regions that generate more revenue than others, we have a county that is not so big and among the country’s poorest; Kwale. But if you look at KRA books, it generates more revenue than the big counties," argued the Kikuyu lawmaker. Kuria was more critical of the DP, terming his style of leadership as divisive, bullish and backward. "He is my boss, but I don't agree with him. We were elected by our people to solve our issues. If Martha Karua or Kioni call me to their houses I will go, with respect. They don't have to come to me. Solutions for this country have no forwarding address, so we take them to someone. This country has many challenges and we will need all of us. You can't tell me that when I have a problem I come and see you, who are you," fired the CS while appearing on a Citizen TV interview.  Kuria's criticism of the deputy president came barely months after he castigated him in another setting over his call for unity in Mt Kenya. The outspoken CS termed Gachagua's unity call as hypocritical, unnecessary and ill-advised, arguing the region was untied and needed no "Let me conclude by telling the leaders of Mt. Kenya. Now people are saying that we should unite, have unity, speak the same language; I don't disagree. But I want to ask you, didn't we unite in the year 2022, didn't you choose us with the majority of votes for William Ruto and Kenya Kwanza, what other unity do these people want? They are united. Laikipia East MP and The Service Party (TSP) party leader Mwangi Kiunjuri has also been calling out Gachagua and questioning his leadership style. With the formation of the Haki coalition and endorsement of Uhuru as the ultimate leader of the newly birthed formation and the region at large, Gachagua finds himself in a precarious position and deep in unchartered waters.  What resolutions were made? The conference led to the leaders drafting resolutions that include; efforts to unite the region, advocate for the region's interests through various means, and ensure the allocation of national resources according to the "one man, one vote, one shilling" policy. Limuru III conference faces resistance Earlier on, prior to the meeting, a section of Mt Kenya leaders supporting the Kenya Kwanza Alliance dismissed the relevance of the gathering. National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah said the meeting is outdated, describing it as an ethical gathering that is not inclusive. Despite emerging divisions, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua expressed his backing for the one-man, one-vote, one-shilling revenue-sharing formula. Gachagua also offered an olive branch to opposition leaders in Mt. Kenya, expressing his readiness to meet with former President Uhuru Kenyatta and Karua. 

by  Faith Chandianya