United Opposition took their brigade to Meru despite numerous attempts to block them from accessing Meru county.
The leaders led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka and DP party leader Justin Muturi and former Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi started their three day tour in Chuka town, Tharaka Nithi county where they were received by a sizable number of followers.
Earlier youths had tried to barricade the road at Keeria Market that is in the boundary between Meru and Tharaka Nithi to prevent the convoy from accessing Meru county. However their attempts were thwarted and the convoy snaked through to Nkubu town in South Imenti constituency where they met a huge crowd awaiting them, than what they had met Chuka town.
The leaders who had a convoy of more than 30 high end vehicles then took their campaigns in Kariene where they had a cup of tea at a local hotel and later addressed the resident
At Kathita River bridge that one crosses before entering Meru town it was battle of Titans between two rival groups of those supporting government and another pro opposition.
The youths clashed at Kathita forcing police to intervene to return normalcy.
There, they lit fires from tyres and trees were cut to make sure they cut off the opposition from accessing Meru town where they were to address a mammoth crowd who had early waited for the leaders.
In Meru town, former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi laughed off attempts by some politicians to pay goons to try and cut them off from Meru.
“They wanted us to run away or use alternative routes like the By-Passes but they lost miserably all their plans hit dead end. We are residents of Meru nobody can cut us off from our home,” Linturi said.
Linturi had on Thursday evening pinpointed Meru Municipality MCA Caleb Mutethia as the person behind the ordeal to pay goons to disrupt their meeting in Meru.
Gachagua continued hitting at the government during the tour, saying the current deputy President Kithure Kindiki had become too petty to pay goons to prevent them from accessing Meru county.
“A whole deputy President trying to sponsor goons to cause mayhem at our meeting at expense of innocent residents,” Gachagua said.
He said Kindiki who had failed to deliver development projects was trying to use sideshows.
“Kindiki is going around doing empowerment in other areas yet his own people are suffering there is starvation and now floods and cattle rustling,” Gachagua said.
He said Kindiki has continued to boast of how he knows politics yet he has nothing to show at Meru which he calls his backyard.
Gachagua urged Meru residents to send President William Ruto’s government home together with Kithure Kindiki and all Meru MPs starting with Meru senator Kathuri Murungi who is the Senate Deputy Speaker.
“I also want you to elect Mithika Linturi as your governor as he is representing Meru at the bargaining table,” Gachagua said.
He also urged the people of North Imenti to elect another MP and send incumbent Rahim Dawood home.
Gachagua said President William Ruto wants to divide Mount Kenya into East or West so that he can split Kikuyu, Embu and Meru votes.
“The other day I heard CS Geoffrey Ruku saying that the previous government led by the late President Mwai Kibaki and President Uhuru Kenyatta had done nothing for Meru.
“Most of the road projects that are in Meru were initiated by the two former presidents who also appointed a lot of Meru people in the government jobs,” Gachagua said.
He said he will continue going round the country with Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka.
On the efforts to block them from entering Meru, Gachagua said the government is desperately trying all means to stop them but despite that William Ruto’s regine will go home in 2027.
Former Attorney General Justin Muturi said that President William Ruto government should pay air tickets for hundreds of Kehyans stranded in the middle East.
“Foreign affairs minister should tell President William Ruto to set aside money to repatriate all stranded Kenyans,” Muturi said.
The former CE said the government has misplaced priorities and has allocated KSh17 billion to State House spending while White House spends KSh12 billion.
“They had allocated KSh7.7 billion and now with only three months to another KSh8.4 billion has been added,” Muturi said.
Scores of former, current and aspiring politicians, eying different political seats accompanied the United Alternative Government top leaders.
Mt Kenya Times