The Mt Kenya Times 
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua
By: Joseph Mutua Ndonga
Worth Noting:
- He knew when to hit and he never feared engaging then-President Uhuru Kenyatta and his favored presidential candidate Raila Odinga whom he had profiled as the haters of William Ruto in a bare knuckle attacks.
- As a result, he becomes a marked man. Being an outspoken, Gachagua in various occasions reiterated that the anti-graft bodies and security agencies have been let off to pursue him.
- Attempts by the anti-riot police to break a meeting of his thousands of supporters who had waited for him in Karatina town failed to bore the fruits.
- We know they are harassing you because you have refused to support ‘big man’ project. The votes are in our pockets. We will never vote for Raila.
In the countdown to 2022 General Election, a good number of United Democratic Alliance (UDA) leaders from Mount Kenya region wanted Dr William Ruto to pick Tharaka Nithi senator Kithure Kindiki as his running mate.
But as it turned out, Ruto, who reports indicated was being guided by the report prepared by his close associates and advisers took them by surprise when he instead picked Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua.
This was a wise decision as it was informed by what Kenyans already knew about Dr Ruto. He was a schemer, a well-calculative, firm, bold and a go-getter leader.
He wanted a running mate who shared the same ideals.
Of all of the politicians from central eyeing the seat, Gachagua stood far much ahead of them.
His political message resonated very with the masses from this region.
This is because he had a unique style of communicating it.
He knew when to hit and he never feared engaging then-President Uhuru Kenyatta and his favored presidential candidate Raila Odinga whom he had profiled as the haters of William Ruto in a bare knuckle attacks.
As a result, he becomes a marked man. Being an outspoken, Gachagua in various occasions reiterated that the anti-graft bodies and security agencies have been let off to pursue him.
The ultimate goal is to prepare trump-up charges against me and arraign me in court.
At one point, he was arrested at his home in Karatina at the middle of night and driven to DCI headquarters in Nairobi.
The vehicle was cruising at a very high speed and this was scary, leaving him wondering. What is motive of these people (read the detectives)? What instructions have they been given?
He however breathed a sigh of relieve when he arrived safely at DCI.
He was detained for some days.
When he was released, he was received like a hero in his home turf and in other parts of Mount Kenya. His arrest also drew widespread condemnation from Ruto’s turf of Rift Valley.
Attempts by the anti-riot police to break a meeting of his thousands of supporters who had waited for him in Karatina town failed to bore the fruits.
We know they are harassing you because you have refused to support ‘big man’ project. The votes are in our pockets. We will never vote for Raila.
At one point, a visibly angry Gachagua charged at the police. We know who have sent you. Tell him we don’t fear. I’m and we are sons of Mau Mau.
Since he was sworn in as the deputy President, I have been listening to his critics from Mount Kenya region.
Of course, many of them were in the camp of his tormentors.
They allege that Gachagua did not in any way deliver votes to President Ruto.
‘The people of Mountain had already made up their mind to support Ruto. So he did not anyone to help him’.
I want to tell them. Stop peddling lies. First, this would not help you to endear yourselves to Kikuyus.
This is because your remarks portrayed them as stupid people who did not think or use thier brain. They had instead been brainwashed to an extent of abandoning thier own blood of sons and daughters in favor of politicians from other communities.
In the countdown to the polls, the writing was on wall that Ruto had only one option: That is to pick a running mate (the name of Gachagua was always being floated by then-DP supporters) from Mount Kenya if he wanted to get their votes.
Today, the same critics believed to be on payroll of thier master are saying. DP Gachagua was talking too much without doing some reflections.
I would have expected them to move a step further and tell us where he has he gone wrong.
Gachagua’s message has been very clear. As he discharges his constitutional mandate of being the Deputy President of Kenya, he cannot lose sight of his constituency, the Mount Kenya region.
As leaders, every one of us has a home turf. Some of his supporters would pose. Why does it become an issue when leaders from this region meet to discuss on how to address the plight of our people?
To me, one of the qualities of a leader worth salt is to openly articulate the issues and come up with a road-map to resolve them. This is not talking too much.
So, let Gachagua continue do to his job.
I know a section of Jubilee and Kenya Kwanza leaders from the Mount Kenya are not comfortable with him. This is purely because of politics as opposed to the welfare of the Mountain.
Some of them were eyeing the kingship of the region. Gachagua is fast taking this space.
I come from Mathioya in Muranga County. The other day I was there and this is what majority of residents told me.
Gachagua is doing very well. We fully support him to replace Uhuru Kenyatta and become our kingpin.
Joseph Mutua Ndonga is a writer and political analyst based in Nairobi
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