On Monday, elected leaders from Mt Kenya East endorsed Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki as their leader in a press conference held at a hotel in Embu Town, a move seen as a strategy to clip Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s growing influence in the larger Mt Kenya region.
The leaders drawn from Embu, Tharaka Nithi, and Meru counties said they have unanimously endorsed Kindiki as the link between them and the executive, at a meeting they said was to chat about the way forward for the socio-economic development and political agenda of their region as a bloc.
Unknown to the lawmakers, dividing Mt Kenya into West and East blocks directly undermines President Ruto’s political strength, considering the region has been a critical pillar of support for his presidency.
Any fragmentation weakens his base and diminishes his political influence both regionally and nationally.
During the Monday presser, Mount Kenya East Members of Parliament thanked President William Ruto for appointing three Cabinet Secretaries from the region, insisting that the appointments reflect the trust and recognition the President has placed on Mount Kenya East.
The call for division is a strategic move to weaken the President’s leadership and pushing for the split do not have the President’s best interests in mind. A fragmented Mt Kenya will struggle to fully rally behind his agenda with the same force unless President Ruto is looking at an alternative.
At a time when the country and its entire national leadership is pushing for national unity, dividing Mt Kenya erodes the Head of State’s ability to secure national unity.
Safe to say, officials within the Kenya Kwanza government pushing for this regional division are not aligned with the President’s vision of Unity. Their actions indicate an agenda to destabilize the President’s strongholds ahead of 2027.
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