Speaking on Sunday during a church service at Full Gospel Church in Kangaru, Embu County, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku said Mt Kenya East has for years suffered under what he described as a “one-basket politics” approach that has failed to address the region’s unique needs.
Ruku told congregants that the time had come for the eastern side of Mt Kenya to think independently and protect its political and economic interests without being dragged into broader regional battles.
Ruku accused former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua of orchestrating a coordinated campaign aimed at turning Mt Kenya residents against President William Ruto and his government.
According to the Cabinet Secretary, the alleged plan is driven by personal political grievances rather than the welfare of the people.
“There is a well-organised effort to spread hatred and negativity against the President,” Ruku claimed. “Mt Kenya East will not be used as fuel for someone else’s political wars.”
He argued that the region has often paid the price when leaders pursue confrontational politics, noting that development stalls when politics overshadows cooperation with the national government.
Ruku said Mt Kenya East has capable leaders who can articulate the region’s interests at the national level, pointing to Deputy President Kithure Kindiki as an example of strong leadership from the area.
He insisted that the region does not need political direction from outside voices and is mature enough to make its own choices ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“We have leaders, we have numbers, and we have a voice,” he said. “We do not need to be lectured or threatened.”
In a sharp rebuke, Ruku described Gachagua as a divisive figure whose politics thrive on anger and ethnic mobilisation, warning that such an approach could hurt the region in the long run.
Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire echoed Ruku’s remarks, saying Mt Kenya East will not hesitate to chart a new political course if pushed to the wall.
She told residents that leadership should be about service and development, not endless political fights that do not improve people’s lives.
“If our interests are ignored, we will move on,” Mbarire said.
“We will not be dragged into politics that do not serve our people.”
Her remarks were met with applause from congregants, signalling growing support for the idea of regional political independence.
Ruku defended the Kenya Kwanza administration, crediting President Ruto for interventions that have stabilised coffee and tea prices, key lifelines for farmers in Mt Kenya East.
He said the government’s engagement with farmers has begun to restore confidence in the agricultural sector, improving household incomes across the region.
The Cabinet Secretary further claimed that Gachagua’s exit from government was due to poor performance, arguing that the former Deputy President lacks the political capacity to rally leaders behind his agenda.
“He wants to pull others into his mess,” Ruku said. “But Mt Kenya East will not follow.”
The leaders’ remarks come amid rising political temperatures as the country slowly inches toward the 2027 General Election.
Tags
Politics