Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has dismissed the recent traditional ceremony involving Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, accusing the Kenya Kwanza administration of attempting to divide the Mount Kenya region.
Gachagua, who is currently in the United States on a diaspora tour, said he had followed developments at home and claimed the efforts to create divisions within the region had failed.
He specifically targeted Kindiki and Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku, describing them as individuals deployed by President William Ruto to weaken the unity of the Mount Kenya communities.
“I have woken up to the happenings back home that the two mischievous characters assigned by Mr. William Ruto to divide the mountain have given up after the residents of the region rejected their attempts in total,” Gachagua said.
He claimed the administration had spent money over the past two years in an unsuccessful effort to split the region, arguing that the strategy had not gained acceptance among residents.
Gachagua also criticised the symbolic rituals performed during the ceremony, particularly the presentation of an axe. He claimed the elders involved had been given KSh3,000 each, although he did not provide evidence to substantiate the allegation.
“I have noted that the assembled ‘elders’, at a cost of KSh3,000 each, were given back a symbolic axe by the two agents of division as an admission of their frustrations and inability to divide a community that has lived together for centuries,” he said.
The former deputy president argued that the Agikuyu, Ameru, Embu and Mbeere communities shared historical, cultural and linguistic ties that could not easily be broken by political initiatives.
He further claimed that attempts to divide the wider former Central Province would also fail, saying residents were aware of what he described as new efforts to create regional divisions.
Gachagua also linked the developments to the 2027 General Election, alleging that President Ruto's political strategy involved dividing the Mount Kenya vote, splitting the Linda Mwananchi movement and creating disagreements within the United Alternative Government.
“The first one has failed, and the other two shall fail miserably,” he said.
Gachagua urged his political allies to remain vigilant against what he described as attempts by government-linked individuals and security agencies to infiltrate and disrupt their political activities.
His remarks come amid heightened political activity surrounding Mount Kenya's leadership and political direction ahead of the 2027 elections.
Gachagua concluded his statement by expressing optimism about the August 10, 2027 election, saying the date represented hope for millions of Kenyans facing economic difficulties.