Limuru III: Uhuru, Karua under fire from Ruto allies
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wa briefs journalists
What you need to know:
- Mr Cheruiyot said the Limuru III meeting was taking Kenya backwards, at a time when the country was “working to be one, invisible nation, with one agenda of development.”
- Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa said President Ruto is the unifying factor in the country and must be respected by all leaders including those who served before him.
Allies of President William Ruto have hammered at former president Uhuru Kenyatta and NARC-Kenya leader Martha Karua accusing the duo of running a regional agenda at a time the country is grappling to achieve a cohesion trajectory.
They condemned the Limuru III conference that birthed the Haki Coalition, to be championed by Mr Kenyatta “to protect the interests of Mt Kenya”, as an ethnic outfit intended to divide Kenyans along tribal lines.
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, his Senate counterpart Aron Cheruiyot and Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri led a host of politicians in condemning the conference that has left Mt Kenya region in political divisions.
They claimed Mr Kenyatta was using his community tag to make a comeback into the political sphere against the dictates of the constitution which bars retired presidents from taking active roles in politics.
"The over 70 MPs, 11 woman representatives, 10 Senators and Governors didn’t attend the meeting because it was meant to propagate lies and falsehood. We have a deputy president, several Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, ambassadors and many other appointments in the government to claim that we are not part of the government," argued Mr Ichung’wah.
He said the statements issued at the Limuru 3 were aimed at scuttling President Ruto's development progress.
"As leaders from Mt Kenya region, we condemn the meeting and the unfortunate resolutions that came out of it," he said.
"He needs to emulate the late Mwai Kibaki. When he took over the presidency from Daniel Moi, people thought he would frustrate his predecessor. But this never happened.
"When he retired after serving his term, he never came back to meddle into the manner Mr Kenyatta was running the country. We cannot have two centres of power at the same time," said Mr Kiunjuri.
He said elected leaders from Mt Kenya region skipped the meeting because they understood that the region is not sidelined by the leadership of President Ruto.
Mr Cheruiyot said the Limuru III meeting was taking Kenya backwards, at a time when the country was “working to be one, invisible nation, with one agenda of development.”
The leaders spoke during a funds drive at Tombo primary school in Malava, Kakamega County called for unity of all Kenyans which, which they claimed President Ruto had initiated since he was elected the President.
Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa said President Ruto is the unifying factor in the country and must be respected by all leaders including those who served before him.
"We want Kenyans to speak the language of unity because we can only achieve development if we put tribal groupings behind us," he said promising to lead the onslaught of leading Kakamega from the opposition into the government from 2027.
Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa.
Present were Elijah Memusi (Kajiado Central), Michael Muchira (Oljororok), Fred Outa (Nyando), Elisha Odhiambo (Gem), Bernard Shinali (Ikolomani), Mark Nyamita (Uriri), Christopher Aseka (Khwisero), John Waluke (Sirisia), Malulu Injendi (Malava), Carol Omondi (Suba South), Mohammed Ali (Nyali), Kisumu Senator Tom Ojienda, and Wamatinga Wahome (Nyeri Senator).
