Leaders from the Mount Kenya region who support Deputy President William Ruto’s presidential bid have begun discussions on position sharing and the revival of the region’s economy if he wins.
The discussions began over the weekend, when two different committees were formed to begin the discussions.
The meeting, held at Mathira Member of Parliament Rigathi Gachagua’s Karen residence, drew 48 lawmakers, with 12 participating virtually.
Gachagua stated that the MPs want Ruto to reveal his plans for the region in terms of reviving the economy, as well as the positions he intends to set aside for the region if he is elected as the country’s next president.
“The committees will develop proposals that will be presented to the DP for consideration on which positions will be available and what plans they have to revitalize the region’s economy,” Gachagua said yesterday.
A retreat will be held soon to kick-start the talks, and the DP is expected to inform the MPs about his plans for the region, according to Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri.
Ngunjiri stated that the vote-rich Mt Kenya region has shown its support for Ruto, emphasizing the importance of negotiating ahead of next year’s elections to avoid a crisis.
According to Gachagua, the talks focused on the gains for the region under a Ruto presidency.
Meru Senator Mithika Linturi, MPs Gachagua, Kimani Ichung’wa (Kikuyu), Alice Wahome (Kandara), and Senator John Kinyua are among those steering the talks (Laikipia).
Beatrice Nkatha, Tharaka Nithi Woman Rep, Wangui Ngirichi, Faith Gitau (Nyandarua), and Cecily Mbarire are among the others (Nominated).
Ndindi Nyoro, MP for Kiharu, will lead the economic revival team, which will include MPs John Kiarie (Dagoretti South), Moses Kuria (Gatundu South), Senator Susan Kihika (Nakuru), George Kariuki (Ndia), and John Muchiri (Manyatta).
The team will be tasked with determining how to revitalize the economy, which has suffered as a result of the collapse of coffee farming, the dairy sector, and the Miraa trade.
“Under the Ruto presidency, we want our region to be guaranteed minimum returns.
All agricultural sectors are on their knees, and we want him to tell us what he plans to do to bring them back to life,” Gachagua said.
Formal bargaining
The meeting’s agenda, according to Ichung’wa, was to discuss and agree on formal negotiations with Ruto, whom they have identified as their preferred candidate.
“The negotiations will be divided into two parts: the economic agenda of the 11 counties and the political interests, including positions the region should have in the next government,” he said.
“We agreed to set up two committees with representatives from each county to steer the negotiations, which we intend to center on our people’s issues,” Ichung’wa added.
We want to shift the focus from negotiating solely for political positions that benefit a few political leaders to empowering our people.
We want to speak with the candidate about economic recovery and the steps he will take to restore our people’s economic power.”
Before a meeting at Sagana State Lodge in January, the MPs wrote a letter to President Uhuru Kenyatta about the region’s economy and development.
They complained in the letter about the state of the economy, which they claimed had been abandoned by the Jubilee administration, particularly during its second term.
“The mountain will continue to be restless, dissatisfied, and defiant. “Ultimately, a full-fledged revolt is unavoidable,” read the letter signed by 41 MPs.
The MPs stated that the Mt Kenya economy is “limping and groaning,” with residents experiencing “personal and communal suffering” as a direct result of the government’s policies.
They claimed that policies relating to import and export trade, as well as the demolition of structures in Nairobi and its environs, were used to impoverish people from the region.
“As much as we appreciate infrastructure improvements and efforts to beautify urban areas, the humanitarian and economic impact of willful property destruction on vulnerable people has been enormous,” the letter stated.
