A day after former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua stated that President William Ruto should not be allowed to set foot in Meru if he removes Chief Justice Martha Koome, Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza has hit back.
Speaking during an event in Meru on Monday, February 24, the governor castigated the former DP for his remarks on Sunday and affirmed that Meru would not shy away from supporting the president. Mwangaza further emphasised that Meru leaders would not join the former DP in his opposition.
Mwangaza labelled the former DP and his allies as selfish individuals who are solely focused on blackmailing the president and his government.
"We want to assure the president that this time round, he should not be shaken—we are behind him. We don't want people who will blackmail the president or show him that they can transition to another side," she said.
"There is nothing we can gain from the opposition. Those who are making noise are people who were defeated in elections, people who have no followers, and people who only want to serve their own interests—they are the ones trying to blackmail the president," she stated.
Kawira affirmed that standing with the president is fundamental to achieving economic transformation in both the county and the country at large.
"We are standing behind the president and the DP because they are the ones driving development in the country and in Meru. We cannot afford to join the opposition because if we do, we will gain nothing," she stated.
Mwangaza's remarks come a day after the former DP vowed to spearhead protests if the embattled Chief Justice, Martha Koome, is removed from office. Gachagua claimed this was a deliberate move by Ruto to stifle political influence in the Mount Kenya region.
The former DP took a keen interest in Koome's predicament, as the Chief Justice is currently embroiled in an intense legal battle to retain her position in the judiciary.
"We know he is planning to impeach Koome. This is too much now. How do you purge the leadership of an entire community that made you president?" he said.
Gachagua criticised Kenya Kwanza allies in the Meru region for remaining silent amid Koome's troubles. He warned the leaders that they would be voted out of office in the upcoming elections through his 'political vehicle', which he plans to unveil in May 2025.
"All Meru leaders who have betrayed the community—I need you to deal with them in 2027, early in the morning. This community, called the Mount Kenya region, will punish traitors for 50 years."
