Revealed: How DP Rigathi Gachagua Forced Ndindi Nyoro To Retreat In The Battle For Mt Kenya
The anticipated showdown between Kiharu Member of Parliament (MP) Ndindi Nyoro and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in the battle for the political dominance of Mt Kenya seems to have transformed into a short-lived political spectacle, contributing only to increased speculation.
Following Mr. Nyoro’s unwavering commitment to President William Ruto and Mr. Gachagua, it is uncertain whether the spectacle was an effective cautionary message from influential figures to the Deputy President or a poorly timed and unsuccessful coup effort, with the conspirators realizing they lacked sufficient political influence.
For a brief period of two weeks, there was a standoff between the two parties. Nyoro’s supporters, headed by Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu and Gatanga MP Edward Muriu, made an audacious request for President Ruto to remove DP Gachagua in 2027. They proposed replacing him with the Kiharu MP, preparing for a takeover of the presidency in 2032.
PoliticalPulseChat has observed that the architects of the Nyoro agenda underestimated Mr. Gachagua’s combat skills. He skillfully redirected the attack toward the State House after publicly refusing to participate in a public dispute with his adversaries. His supporters had consistently asserted that an influential force was behind the unexpected offensive from the Nyoro camp, occurring one-and-a-half years after the previous election.
A potential rift in a region that strongly supported the President in 2022 could pose a significant danger, jeopardizing years of stability with over three years remaining until the next elections.
However, Mr. Nyoro’s reversal seems to only result in a fragile peace, as the power struggles persist in different manifestations.
Ex-Gatanga MP Nduati Ngugi, who lost to Mr. Muriu, acknowledges being approached by individuals offering unwavering support to initiate campaigns against the current MP due to his opposition to the Deputy President.
“I declined since I respect Gatanga people and I will only seek their mandate when elections come calling,” he said.
Mr. Ngugi added that former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s tenure made him aware that “wealth and power are two dangerous opponents to attempt taking head on”, adding that “that is what Gachagua has unleashed to shake off the Nyoro challenge.”
Too hot
Mr. Nyoro’s supporters concur that the situation in the kitchen escalated to an intolerable level, and they found it challenging to withstand the increasing heat.
“It was not our liking to back down… Powerful forces descended on us and urged us to call off the attack. Nothing has changed in our demands, but it is no longer tenable to say it openly,” said Mr Nyutu. He added: “It is not possible to continue publicly defying Gachagua when the Head of State has personally come out to demand cessation of hostilities, but we have made our point, and the demands we were making remain very much alive.”
Mr Nyutu said that the two camps are united under President Ruto.”We all agree President Ruto should serve us till 2032 (for two terms). We only differ on who should deputize him in seeking a second term in 2027, and who will inherit the seat in 2032.”
Following a period of maintaining a composed silence while his political allies closed in on Gachagua, Mr. Nyoro unexpectedly broke his quiet demeanor on Friday while in Tana River, appearing subdued and somewhat unsettled.
“We all in the Kenya Kwanza Alliance give our President and his deputy full, total, and unconditional support as they lead our nation. The rest of us all behind them are their workers, including myself, ours is to support them as they steer this nation forward,” Nyoro mellowed.
This came after President Ruto and Mr. Gachagua made emphatic remarks in the Rift Valley and Mt. Kenya regions in the past few days, urging a halt to the premature campaigning.
“A seasoned eye in how government fights internally knew it was a matter of time before Nyoro backed down. I can detect an underground tact credited to Gachagua that has resulted in the truce. How Gachagua allies came out well coordinated and throwing lethal jabs must have sent very strong signals to the President,” said career administrator Joseph Kaguthi.
Kaguthi, who is also from the Mt Kenya region, added that “having witnessed similar sibling rivalry in Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel Moi, Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta’s regimes as an insider, I had given Nyoro only three weeks at maximum to back down. It took him only two weeks”.
The public representation of the Gachagua initiative was primarily led by Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga, Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga, East African Legislative Assembly MP Kanini Kega, and Mathira MP Eric Wamumbi.
Together, they claimed that Gachagua’s challenges in the war could not be solely attributed to Nyoro, as it extended beyond initial expectations. The group began making various demands, including breaking away from the ruling UDA party to establish their own, requesting a meeting with the Head of State to renegotiate the Mount Kenya region’s stake in the government, and urging the expedited progress of development projects.
“It was not the case (that there were powerful forces behind the push). Our agenda was not in any way sanctioned by State House but it was a reaction to how Gachagua has been treating us and lording over us as if we were children. But how he misrepresented facts and made us appear as if we were quarreling with the President is strange,” Mr Nyutu said.
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Mr Wamatinga is said to have grown overexcited in the task allocated to him and on Thursday showed up on Inooro TV and declared: “Led by (Governor) Kahiga we are going to meet the President on Saturday to demand that he writes off Mt Kenya coffee debts worth Sh6 billion, release compensations for area residents whose lands had been taken over to host government projects as well as have all dams earmarked since independence done.”
He said discussions on how to explore the formation of an own political party was also an agenda, adding that “we are wary of how in 1989, as is happening now, small-time politicians were used to bring down the then Vice President Josephat Karanja at the behest of State House powers”.
The senator expressed a desire for the construction of a cancer center in Nyeri, along with improvements to the infrastructure at Othaya Level Six Hospital. Additionally, they highlighted the need to establish a fund that would provide zero-interest loans to support small and medium enterprises in the area, aligning with the economic promises made before the elections in the region.
The demands appeared to have angered Mr Gachagua who, while in Meru on Thursday, hit out at Mr Wamatinga and Mr Nyutu. “The two are speaking garbage and I direct Senate Deputy Speaker Kathuri Murungi to sit them down and caution them on basic political discipline that projects itself in unity of purpose,” he said.
Mr. Kahiga said: “With the hostilities now behind us, I hope we are now going to sit down as Mt Kenya leaders and agree that our unity is paramount and is the only defense we have in lobbying for benefits commensurate to our contribution in both resources and establishment of this government”.
Revealed: How DP Rigathi Gachagua Forced Ndindi Nyoro To Retreat In The Battle For Mt Kenya