NAIROBI,Kenya, Aug 15- Mt Kenya East elders have thrown their weight behind President William Ruto’s re-election bid while backing Deputy President Kithure Kindiki’s political future, even as they called for reconciliation between the region’s eastern and western blocs.
The elders’ position, delivered during a solemn assembly in Nembure, Manyatta Constituency, Embu County, on Saturday, comes amid growing political tensions within the wider Mt Kenya region and renewed rivalry between Kindiki and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Kindiki used the gathering to urge Mt Kenya leaders to avoid deepening divisions, saying the region’s political future should be guided by its traditional councils of elders.
He also defended the decision to retain the Deputy President’s position within Mt Kenya after Gachagua’s removal from office, arguing that the position belonged to the community rather than an individual.
“This position of Deputy President is not my personal position, and it was not also for Rigathi personally. It was and it is for the community,” Kindiki said.
He said Mt Kenya East should not turn against Mt Kenya West over political disagreements, urging elders from the two regions to initiate dialogue and restore unity.
“I plead with you, respectfully, to stop blaming our brothers and sisters from Mount Kenya West because there is no vote that has been cast and they have refused to vote for us,” he said.
Kindiki said the Kikuyu, Embu and Meru communities had historically acted as one political and cultural bloc, dating back to the struggle for independence.
He recalled the political support given to former presidents Jomo Kenyatta, Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta by the wider GEMA community, saying the region had historically rallied behind leaders from within its ranks.
Kindiki said the same principle should guide the current political arrangement, arguing that Mt Kenya East had a responsibility to safeguard the Deputy President’s position.
He further urged leaders in the region to give elders time to negotiate with their counterparts from Mt Kenya West rather than rushing to make political decisions
“I have faith that these elders will unite all the communities in Mount Kenya,” he said.
The Deputy President, however, sharply criticised Gachagua, accusing him of disrespecting fellow leaders and warning that he would face a political confrontation in the 2027 elections.
“Those leaders you are campaigning for to be President, I have heard you saying Kalonzo will be the President. I tell you to continue with that business. I have no problem with you. You should wait for next year; we will deal with you together with President William Ruto,” Kindiki said.
He also rejected calls associated with Gachagua’s camp for Ruto to serve only one term.
“You go around with your young people saying ‘one term.’ I dare you, continue with that nonsense; I will deal with you,” Kindiki said.Despite the confrontation, Kindiki framed his message as a plea for unity, warning that political differences should not descend into violence or destroy property and livelihoods.
“For us who come from Mount Kenya, especially Mount Kenya East, supporting William Ruto for a second term is not an option; it is a must. We must do it because voting for William Ruto next year is voting for ourselves,” he said.
Kindiki also called on the councils of elders to intervene in the escalating political tensions, particularly after incidents of violence in Central Kenya.
“For the first time since Kenya was established, this is the first time we are having violence in Central Kenya,” he said, urging elders to help end what he described as a growing culture of violence.
“This culture of violence must come to a stop. We cannot allow our young people to turn to violence for whatever reason,” he added.
The remarks comes at a time when Mt Kenya East is at the centre of the emerging political contest over the region’s 2027 position, with Kindiki seeking to consolidate support for Ruto while simultaneously positioning himself as a key figure in the region’s post-2027 political leadership.
Kindiki said, however, that major political decisions should not be made hastily, suggesting that the region could reassess its position later in the year after consultations among elders.
“Maybe by the time we are heading towards the end of the year, we shall review how things are moving and then decide. We shall not decide alone; it is through the guidance of our elders that we shall decide on the way forward,” he said.
