Opinion

Mt Kenya’s political future might be doomed after the August election

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The ongoing political battles between Azimio la Umoja and Kenya Kwanza for the soul of Mount Kenya votes might break the future unity of the region.

This happened after President Uhuru Kenyatta initiated the handshake with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and denounced the earlier promise of yangu Kumi na ya Ruto Kumi promise.

This created a political discourse among allies of the deputy president from the Mount Kenya region and the recent move for the Jubilee to join hands with ODM created a huge political enmity.

The divide-and-conquer aspect of this strategy has effectively turned the region into a perfect ‘Power of Babel’, plunging it into a political abyss from which it might take generations to emerge.

The two political classes, dynasties and hustlers seem to have gained momentum as Raila is banking on wealthy Kikuyu tycoons to support his bid while Ruto who seems to have fallen completely with Uhuru has invested in hustler narrative and have coined the hatupangwingwi anthem.

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Already Ruto and his allies from the Mount Kenya region among them Ndindi Nyoro, Moses Kuria, Rigathi Gachagua, William Kabogo, Martin Wambora, and Justin Muturi among others have imagined themselves as ‘revolutionaries’ waging war against the modern-day ‘ancient regime’ of the French Revolution.

Recently Kikuyu council of elders Wachira Kiago said that Ruto and his allies are preying on the divisive class divide between the rich (‘dynasties’) and the poor (‘hustlers’) and tapping into the veins of populism based on a hypothetical model that exploits the poverty and economic woes.

He accused Ruto of introducing the youths of Mount Kenya into a political cult just like Mungiki in 2007 while Kenya Kwanza accused President Uhuru Kenyatta of using state machinery to divide and maintain power even after retirement.

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This division between the two groups is what might create the enmity between Kikuyu themselves as to what was recently witnessed between those from Mount Kenya east and west during the recent coronation of Justin Muturi as the region kingpin.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has on several occasions pleaded with the region to speak in one voice for the sake of unity but it fell on deaf year.

They claim that the president should be a symbol of national unity and the move to

Former first lady Mama Ngina Kenyatta’s recent appeal for the community to follow Uhuru’s political advice created a political discourse.

Mama Ngina said that President Uhuru Kenyatta should give the community a political focus and unites the community.

Hustler politics is systematically demobilizing the powerful political machine in Mt Kenya that propelled Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta to power.

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About two days ago, the deputy president accused a section of Mount Kenya tycoons of sitting in an office and dictating to people whom to elect in august.

Earlier Ruto had pleaded with Uhuru to vacate the ground and let him (Ruto) face-off with Mr. Odinga without favoritisms.

To ensure, that the unity of the region is preserved for the future, political players should tone down their voices and rally the community into a peaceful election irrespective of the presidential candidates they are supporting.

Secondly, President Uhuru Kenyatta should call for a common meeting and straighten out any problems and desist from endorsing any candidate just like former president Mwai Kibaki did.