MP Mathenge: Why we prefer Kindiki to Gachagua

A day after President William Ruto toured Nyeri Town Constituency for a church service in the absence of his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua, area MP Duncan Mathenge has reiterated why Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki is the best suited to be Mt Kenya region’s spokesperson.

Mr Mathenge said the Mountain deserved a leader who would advocate for the region to be allocated more resources for development.

He was addressing the media at Thunguma Shopping Centre in his constituency, where he was inspecting the tarmacking of a road project.

“We are in agreement that unity is important, but resources do unite people in a more permanent and meaningful way than uniting behind an individual person. We are pushing the development agenda against the dominant political conversation around the unity of the region,” Mr Mathenge said.

“Nobody has the power to push the development agenda of a region single-handedly. That is why we are detaching ourselves from the conversation of unity based on following a particular leader or person to bring about the availability of resources and prosperity of our region,” he added.

The road, which is constructed by Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURRA), links the shopping centre to the Nyeri-Nairobi Highway at Oilcom Petrol Station. The project started in 2020.

“We have allocated the necessary resources and the contractor is on site. We believe that this road will be completed on time. I will meet with KURRA Director General Silas Kinoti on Thursday this week so that the money that has already been allocated is spent to complete tarmacking of this road,” the first-time lawmaker said.

Recently, at least 48 MPs from the Mt Kenya region endorsed CS Kindiki as the new link between the region and the Presidency.

The MPs, who spoke in Nyahururu town, claim that Mr Gachagua has been perpetuating politics on unity to support individual and personal ambition rather than the articulation, pursuit, and lobbying of the interests of Mt Kenya constituents.

“Our efforts to consolidate the developmental needs of the people we represent and canvass for their realization has been frustrated by the lack of a focal point of reference around whom we can channel the interests and priorities of our people to the Government for actualization. Instead, the Mt Kenya region has suffered high-octane politics around fathom unity to support individual and personal ambition rather than the articulation, pursuit and lobbying of the interests of our constituents,” their statement read in part.

“Our attempts to call the region to the orderly prioritization of the developmental needs of the people have been frustrated by condescending threats of dire political consequences unless we support certain personal interests and ambitions,” it added.

The legislators have tasked Prof Kindiki with advocating for Mt Kenya’s agenda in food and cash crops sectors including coffee, tea, potatoes, and macadamia, better prices for milk and poultry products, reduction of the cost of animal feeds, and advancement of business, commercial and enterprise interests and other outstanding manifesto commitments.

On Sunday DP Gachagua skipped the Ruto church event in Nyeri because was attending a church service in Kirinyaga County.