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| Mt Kenya leaders |
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has received a major blow after a section of Mt Kenya leaders publicly disagreed with him. The 8 Mt Kenya MPs opposed the one man, one shilling debate. In a statement on Tuesday, June 4, eight MPs drawn from Meru county distanced themselves from Gachagua’s clarion call of one man, one vote, one shilling. Meru MPs oppose Gachagua’s stand During a press conference at Parliament buildings, legislators said they would refrain from endorsing the one-man-one-shilling initiative supported by leaders affiliated with the deputy president. Igembe South MP Paul Mwirigi said the formula being advocated by Gachagua would disadvantage other counties. “If we say other areas should not get development, we will be wrong,” Mwirigi said, as reported by Citizen Digital. Why Meru MPs are supporting William Ruto The legislators also threw their weight behind President William Ruto’s firm stand against political balkanisation in the country. The MPs supported the remarks by the president that elected leaders should feel free to move around the country. They opposed Gachagua’s stand that elected leaders should stick to their constituencies and not roam from one area to another. “We support what the president said about the need for oneness as we operate in the country. Merus are everywhere. We are national leaders. If we are needed anywhere, we will go,” Mwirigi said. Other MPs who attended the briefing included Rahim Dawood, Dorothy Ikiara, Mpuru Aburi, Julius Taituma, Dan Kili, and Moses Kirema. Why Moses Kuria disagreed with Gachagua In a related development, Public Service, Performance, and Delivery Cabinet Secretary (CS) Moses Kuria also opposed the ongoing one-person, one-shilling debate. During the launch of county dissemination forums, the former lawmaker argued that the proposal was unhealthy for the country. The CS explained that if allowed, the debate could only serve to balkanise the country along ethnic lines.
by Amos Khaemba