Strongly warn your friends against attacking Gachagua, Kahiga tells Ruto

Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga is now urging President William Ruto to control his allies who he claims continue to attack his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua.

The governor said that only Dr. Ruto has the authority to command these politicians to respect Mr. Gachagua.

In an exclusive interview with NTV on Sunday night, the governor expressed his dismay that the Deputy President is being attacked by leaders close to Dr. Ruto, while the President remains silent.

“I want the President to issue a directive that the office of the Deputy President must be respected, and I will also follow that order. It is not right that those surrounding him are the ones disrespecting Gachagua,” he said.

The Deputy President has faced verbal attacks due to his stance that the distribution of government revenue should be based on population size in various regions of the country.

However, President Ruto’s allies, led by National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, argue that this system will perpetuate tribalism and divisions in Kenya.

Ministers including Kithure Kindiki (Security), Moses Kuria (Public Service), and Defense counterpart Aden Duale have joined these politicians in attacking Gachagua for supporting this revenue distribution system, known as “one person, one vote, one shilling.”

Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro and Nyeri Town MP Duncan Mathenge are also among those from the Mount Kenya region who continue to oppose Gachagua’s stance on revenue distribution.

But during the NTV interview, Governor Kahiga, a staunch defender of the Deputy President, said the issue has been politicized.

“People think we are being selfish when we advocate for the ‘one person, one vote, one shilling’ system, but that’s not true. What we want is fairness. Revenue is allocated to people, and that’s what we are advocating for. Nyeri, with a population of 759,000, is not being treated fairly under the current revenue distribution system. So people feel that this government they voted for is not serving them adequately,” Governor Kahiga said.

He warned Dr. Ruto that he might lose support from Mount Kenya if he does not address the issue.

On Saturday, while speaking in Kutus, Kirinyaga County, an angry Mr. Gachagua rebuked certain individuals, without naming them, for “pretending to give me orders.”

“The problem now is that people who are friends of the President want to be my bosses. Is that even possible? I am surprised that even the President’s personal assistants and his bloggers want to direct me. They want to tell me what I should do. They should know they are not my bosses,” Mr. Gachagua said.

He added that it is disheartening that some ministers and senior government officials are undermining him instead of focusing their efforts on implementing development projects.

“I was elected by the people of Kenya, and I have two bosses, the President and Kenyans. If you are a friend of the President, maintain your friendship with him and stop interfering with me. I know my boss and I know his name. I cannot fail to distinguish my boss from his friends. I am not foolish; I know the difference,” Mr. Gachagua said.