There has been a political rivalry between Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro.
The rift is mainly due to who among the two leaders will be the perfect running mate for William Ruto in the 2027 presidential election.
Already at least 20 Members of Parliament (MPs) from the vote-rich Mt Kenya region have endorsed Ndindi Nyoro as the perfect running mate for William Ruto.
The leaders led by Muranga’a Senator Joe Nyutu said Gachagua cannot be trusted with leadership of the country and that he has lost the grip of the Mt Kenya region, a region that usually determines who the president will be.
This has elicited sharp reactions not only from the Mt Kenya region but across the country.
For instance, East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Kanini Kega believes that there must be dark forces funding the ongoing rift between Gachagua and Nyoro.
Kega said Kiharu MP had no political masses to fund the more than 20 United Democratic Alliance (UDA) MPs who have fronted him to be William Ruto’s 2027 presidential running mate.
“I think that there must be people from outside who are pushing Nyoro to start a political war between him and Gachagua. Nyoro cannot gather so many parliamentarians without ‘blessing’ from certain people,” Kega said in an interview with a television station on Thursday, January 18.
However, former Roots Party presidential running mate Justina Wamae challenged Kega to be clear on who was funding Nyoro to fight the second in command.
Wamae reacting to Kega’s comments said Kenya’s President William Ruto was indirectly funding Kiharu MP to fight Gachagua.
“Mbona munaogopa kutaja rais aliyemamlakani? (“Why are you afraid to mention the incumbent president?” Wamae said on Friday, January 19.
DP Gachagua on Monday dismissed the succession talk as an insult to Kenyans who expect service delivery.
“Hata wakijaribu nini, ati watu wanaleta maneno ati wanitoe kwa hiyo kazi ati ndio nijibizane na watu, ati nianze kutafuta wabunge kuwaita ati mkuje mnisaidie…mimi I am focused, and I cannot lose focus… in this administration, I have no other agenda…to make sure that I assist President Ruto succeed in the economic transformation of this country…wale wanataka kusucceed President Ruto muendelee,” he said.
