President William Ruto sitting beside an empty chair that was reserved for Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua at Ngangarithi Primary School near Nyeri town yesterday.
By Charles Kinyua
The simmering rift between the country’s top two leaders widened as they held parallel church functions in neighbouring counties.
President William Ruto who flew into the country at dawn from Germany attended an early morning service at Stewards Revival Pentecostal church on Outerring road, Nairobi and flew into his deputy’s Nyeri backyard at noon.
Strict instructions were issued at the gates of Nyeri National Polytechnic that no leaders were to be allowed to recieve the Head of State as his chopper landed except Governor Mutahi Kahiga and area Member of Parliament Duncan Maina Mathenge thereby angering local leaders who wondered why they were being sidelined.
Eleven legislators were holed up at a nearby high end hotel and eventually missed the president’s arrival occassioning their running literally to catch up with him at Ngangarithi Primary School grounds where African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (AIPCA) was set to launch the Central West Archdiocese.
Congregants and onlookers were left with mouths agape as the President Ruto arrived in an unmarked vehicle with most only realising it was the president after he disembarked from the vehicle.
In the neigbouring Kirinyaga county, his Gachagua had joined the congregants of Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic church in centenary celebrations at Baricho in Ndia constituency.
Tension reigned in both venues as the second in command’s diehard followers in the two counties held their breaths as confrontation seemed inevitable.
In Baricho, Kirinyaga governor Anne Waiguru and the Senator Kamau Murango did not have very kind words for each other.
Murango who is Gachagua’s close ally worked up the crowd urging them to have undivided support for the DP. His sentiments were echoed by area woman rep Njeri Maina who was wildly cheered.
In a bid to lower tensions, political speeches were disallowed at Ngangarithi where only the governor spoke but steered off politics while Mathenge introduced his fellow legislators, none of whom uttered a word.
At one point, MCAs led by their majority leader, James Kanyugo walked out of the venue after they were informed that no seats were reserved for them.
Most of them were said to have been present to recieve the Deputy President who had initially been expected to grace the occasion was held up in Kirinyaga as most cameramen focused on his empty seat with nobody explaining why he was not present.
The president left as fast as he had arrived without having any meal or acknowledging any greetings in the town as has been his tradition.
Some of the other leaders present included MPs Wambugu Wainaina (Othaya), Njoroge Wainaina (Kieni), Geoffrey Wandeto (Tetu), Karani Wachira (Laikipia West), Jane Kagiri (Laikipia County) and Kanini Kega (EALA).
Others were Presidential Advisor Moses Kuria and Principal Secretaries Alex Wachira and Ann Wang’ombe. Also present was Speaker of the Nyeri County Assembly Gichuhi Mwangi and the area Majority Leader James Kanyugo.
The church leadership led by Archbishop Samson Muthuri.
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