Gachagua is right, he is there to fight for the interests of all Kenyans
The Mt Kenya Times 
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Governor of Nairobi City County Sakaja Johnson
By: Joseph Mutua Ndonga
Worth Noting:
- Nairobi city is the home to all the communities and majority of them were doing business and eking a honest living.
- Some of them (read Matatu operators) came to my office and lodged complaints that the county government was planning to evict them from Central Business District (CBD) without giving them a conducive alternative environment to do their business.
- Gachagua is aware of this. If things go wrong in Nairobi and other parts of the country, the people will train their guns on him and President Ruto, not the governor. Come 2027, the two of us shall find ourselves walking a tight rope.
The other day I had an opportunity to listen to the remarks by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua during an interview on iNooro TV.
Responding to one of the questions, the DP posed. Who told you there is a war between me and the Governor of Nairobi?
I’m the Deputy President of Kenya. Sakaja is a governor. This means we are not in the same league.
As the second-in-command, I’m answerable to President William Ruto. The two of us were elected on a joint ticket.
Kenyans gave us a job of articulating and ensuring wishes and aspirations were met.
Nairobi city is the home to all the communities and majority of them were doing business and eking a honest living.
Some of them (read Matatu operators) came to my office and lodged complaints that the county government was planning to evict them from Central Business District (CBD) without giving them a conducive alternative environment to do their business.
Would you expect me to keep quiet? If I did, this would have amounted to dereliction of my duties.
The DP had invited the Governor to his office to discuss these issues.
He had told him to bear this in mind. These people gave you votes and also voted for me and President Ruto.
I personally convened a meeting with those drawn from Mount Kenya region and asked them to support you.
Therefore, we need to treat with respect and decorum. This by inviting them and giving them a chance to freely present their grievances.
If they have to leave the CBD, it will be important to build a consensus on how the relocation will be done.
A few days earlier, the county government had made yet another decision that had been termed as a roadside declaration because it was implemented without proper public participation.
The officers moved with speed to enforce orders closing clubs and bars that were allegedly playing loud music.
This would be interpreted to mean as the beginning of targeting a certain community in Nairobi.
Given this scenario, Gachagua’s comments were timely. The governor needed to seize this opportunity to assure this community that he had no ill-feelings.
His actions were intended to restore order and sanity and this was for the benefit of all of us, the Nairobians.
When you engage all the stakeholders directly, they will feel honored and respected and hence majority would throw thier weight behind you.
This will ensure you maintain your popularity and implement your decisions with ease.
Gachagua is aware of this. If things go wrong in Nairobi and other parts of the country, the people will train their guns on him and President Ruto, not the governor. Come 2027, the two of us shall find ourselves walking a tight rope.
The Nairobians will remind us about the promises we had made to them during the 2022 electioneering period.
The main one was to address the myriad of challenges facing the business people. You have failed to deliver. This would mean that our support has gone down.
We do not want to give our rivals a chance to capitalize on this and raid our support base. This will not happen.
Joseph Mutua Ndonga is a writer and political analyst.
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