Former Nyeri Town Member of Parliament (MP) Ngunjiri Wambugu, on Sunday, April 23, opined that Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua had embarked on a campaign to bring Mt Kenya together around a common course rather than a selfish ambition.
Wambugu, a political scientist and governance expert, stated that Gachagua was rebranding himself around the fight against illicit brew, a strategy far away from his ambitions which previously saw him wrangle with President Uhuru Kenyatta, Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro and other leaders as the area kingpin.
Uniting the region against a common enemy, the proliferation of illicit brew and drug abuse, was a powerful tactic capable of getting all elected leaders to subscribe to his school of thought.
"The prevalence of illicit alcohol in Mt Kenya is a live existential threat to our community. Mobilising the political pillar to fix this, is good leadership. Gachagua should now also mobilise the other two pillars of our society behind this cause; the Economic Pillar (business and corporate leaders), and the Social Pillar (religious leaders and elders). And we will permanently slay this dragon.
"I would like to commend him because that is a very powerful tactic. You cannot unite a region just for the sake of it but for a justified course. Within a month, he has not only met governors, senators, MPs but also Members of County Assembly (MCAs) to rally them against the menace," he remarked.
However, he advised Gachagua to seek an audience with the business community and religious leaders to effectively deal with the region's illicit brews and drug abuse.
The matter, according to Wambugu, needed to be addressed socially and economically and not just politically. Nonetheless, he asked the DP to prepare to face accusations of secluding other regions.
Business leaders had warned the DP that his move would render many youth jobless. They also urged him to organise a sit down with traders to find a way forward.
If Gachagua successfully delivers on his task, he would easily claim the throne of the Mountain, according to the former Nyeri Town MP.
Amid the rise of the DP, Wambugu also expressed distaste for the ongoing scramble and partition of the former ruling party, Jubilee.
He claimed that the infighting not only brought shame to former President Uhuru Kenyatta and called for the warring factions to make peace, given the dialogue at national levels.
"It does not matter who wins that war, the party will lose. It is time that the two groups had a bipartisan conversation. Jeremiah Kioni insists we are in Azimio, but what does he mean?
"None of the elected members are backing Azimio in parliament. Let him sit down with Kanini Kega and reach an agreement for the sake of the party," Wambugu stated.
