A section of lawmakers allied to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua have turned their wrath on the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) after the agency cautioned Gachagua against making inciteful remarks. The legislators accused the commission of being used as a tool by the state to suppress the former DP.
The NCIC’s warning stemmed from Gachagua’s recent remarks, in which he warned President William Ruto against visiting Meru if Chief Justice Martha Koome is removed from office. The commission raised concerns that such statements could fuel ethnic tensions and incite animosity among communities.
However, the lawmakers, led by Gatanga MP Edward Muriu, dismissed the NCIC’s warning as a politically motivated attack. Muriu claimed that Gachagua has been unfairly targeted for merely advocating for the rights and interests of the Mt Kenya region.
“Ironically, what Gachagua has been doing is defending the rights and interests of Mt Kenya. He is fighting against the isolation and exclusion of the region from the government,” said Muriu.
Muriu was accompanied by MPs Amos Mwago (Starehe), Jayne Kihara (Naivasha), Wanjiku Muhia (Kipipiri), Onesmus Ngogoyo (Kajiado North), Mary Wamaua (Maragua), and Senators Dan Maanzo (Makueni) and Joe Nyutu (Murang’a). The leaders expressed concerns that Mt Kenya professionals were being systematically edged out of government positions, further fueling discontent in the region.
The Gatanga legislator also referenced Kenya’s 2007 post-election violence, arguing that labeling Gachagua’s call for regional unity as hate speech was misleading.
“His call against deliberate isolation of members of one community is not hate speech; not with the history of 2007,” Muriu stated.
The standoff between the government and Gachagua’s allies signals deepening political divisions within the Kenya Kwanza administration. The Mt Kenya region, which played a crucial role in delivering victory to Ruto in the 2022 elections, has been witnessing growing dissatisfaction over what some leaders term as neglect in government appointments and key policy decisions.
As tensions rise, political analysts warn that continued friction within the ruling coalition could weaken the government’s cohesion ahead of the 2027 elections. Whether President Ruto will seek to mend fences with Gachagua and his allies or continue to assert his dominance remains a key question in Kenya’s evolving political landscape.
