Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has told off National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah over Mt Kenya unity.

Speaking at Mikumbune Methodist Church in Meru during 100 years anniversary celebrations on Sunday, Mr Gachagua said Mr Ichung'wah represents emerging errant sons and daughters in the region "who are ready to betray area people at the altar of selfishness".

While Mr Ichung'wah had while accompanying president William Ruto to a 4-day tour of Luo Nyanza had hit out at "some Mt Kenya leaders who are not showing gratitude even after it was allocated eight(8) cabinet slots in the broad-based government".

Mr Gachagua reiterated that "it is Mt Kenya that should be shown gratitude for agreeing to vote for Dr Ruto".

He said President Ruto is the one who owes the Mt Kenya region gratitude for the millions of votes he received in 2022, against retired President Uhuru Kenyatta's advice, who had supported opposition chief Raila Odinga to succeed him.

Mr Ichung'wah had heaped praise on Luo Nyanza leaders and their subjects for showing gratitude for the president who had given them two(2) slots in his cabinet.

Mr Gachagua reminded Mr Ichung'wa that "it is the president who was first to benefit from the region's gratitude and was waiting to be shown reciprocal service instead of being lectured in neighbours' homesteads on how to behave inside their government". 

Mr Gachagua said Mt Kenya did not get favoured by being given eight(8) cabinet slots "since we deserved them by right after we resoundingly showed faith in that government during voting".

Any suggestion that the Mountain region has not shown gratitude to President Ruto, the DP said is misleading.

"We are not fools. We stood with the president to a man in the last election. We owe the people of this region gratitude by delivering the development projects we promised them," the DP said.

The two senior personalities in President William Ruto government have been tussling over who should control the huge Mt Kenya voting block, Gachagua insisting he is the area kingpin, Ichung'wah rooting for the president.

In their utterances about Mt Kenya, Mr Gachagua is perceived to be pursuing self sustenance by investing in region as security while Mr Ichung'wah is said to be battling for the president who is desperate to hang on the 87 percent rating he got from area people in the 2022 general election.

As unofficial propaganda opinion polls continue to be peddled in the region, some showing president to have lost more than 80 percent, others showing Gachagua as ripe for impeachment with less than 10 percent of area support, the battle lines are clearly defined.

Dr Ruto is seen as sustaining a belief that Mt Kenya can still give him a 2027 reelection edge and Mr Gachagua said to be endearing himself to his people to retain his political competitiveness for his political ambitions.

"It is in that game of interests that Mr Gachagua is being fought to give the president's wing total grip and the DP fighting back knowing that he gets dislodged as point of control and he will be impeached and get dropped in 2027 without any value to seek an alternative alliance," says political analyst, Charles Mwangi.

While Mr Ichung'wah has since branded Mr Gachagua as a man obsessed with the village but with unrealistic dreams of building an empire, the DP has responded that "everyone of us has his roots and I belong in Mt Kenya".

A defiant Mr Gachagua said on Sunday that “by saying we unite we are not saying we go and battle anyone”.

"We are uniting for the sake of our identity and relevance and then we set out to establish friendship with other people from other regions," the second in command said.

The tussle between Gachagua and Ichung'wah has escalated into ugly verbal alterations between the two(2), end result being emergence of two wings within government in Mt Kenya.

On Sunday, Mr Gachagua claimed that "there are those who are accusing me of loving my Mt Kenya people and demanding that we unite...if that is crime, then I am guilty as charged, tell me the price to pay and I will do it with gratitude".

He said he will continue to preach Mt Kenya brotherhood and sisterhood "at all costs and continue demanding that we get what is rightfully ours and also be there to shape the destiny of our country in partnership with others".

Mr Ichung'wah had earlier while in Bungoma said "there are people who only dream of uniting tribal blocks for their selfish ends and wanting to act as a deity to blackmail others into submission".

President Ruto's ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party Secretary-General Hassan Omar on Sunday told us that "Mr Ichung'wah while making those statements do so as restating Dr Ruto's standpoints about cohesion and unity".

President Ruto had also on Sunday hit out at people he termed as isolationists--a term Mr Ichung'wah repeatedly uses against Mr Gachagua--and who instead of preaching national cohesion, were preaching about tribe and region.

"Those who want to divide us will fail and will fail miserably. Those who want to preach to us sectarian, ethnic, regional, parochial politics will not succeed in this country," Dr Ruto said 

He added that those privileged to be leaders "at whatever level must appreciate that they are leaders of the whole country, not regions".

While Mr Ichung'wah has promised to lead the fight against Mt Kenya forces of "village mentality", Mr Gachagua says he will lead an alternative fight of ensuring the region gets presidential service that completes the road projects initiated by his predecessor, Mr Kenyatta.

Mr Gachagua,58, said young leaders from the Mountain are being used to fight their own.

"I advise our young people to measure their words when they speak out there. If there are any issues, let them be sorted out among us. I have not seen young people from other regions abusing their leaders. We have cheap leaders who are given money to divide us," Mr Gachagua said.

The DP emphasised that he would now concentrate on reaching out to more friends across the country ahead of the next election.

"With the broad-based government, we have learnt that politics is the art of the possible. We will never hate any leader or community because of politics. I am now seeking friendship in all regions. I have reached out to Kalonzo Musyoka, Odinga himself, Eugene Wamalwa, George Natembeya...and many others," the DP said.

He said it is his responsibility to solidify the Mt Kenya region and woo new friends. 

Mr Gachagua was accompanied by Murang'a Senator Joe Nyutu, MPs Shadrack Mwiti (Imenti South), Dorothy Ikiara (nominated), Karambu Kailemia (Meru), Susan Ngugi (Tharaka Nithi), Kareke Mbiuki (Maara) former Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi and former Meru governor Kiraitu Murungi.