Gachagua apologises to Mama Ngina
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has apologised to former First Lady Mama Ngina Kenyatta and urged her to forgive those who demeaned her during the 2022 General Elections campaigns.
He described Mama Ngina as a respected national figure who doesn’t deserve the slander she got from politicians during the campaigns.
“I am sorry for involving Mama Ngina Kenyatta in the last general elections politics. She is our mother. I, therefore, ask for forgiveness on behalf of our team. I will never allow anyone to demean her or anyone from the region,” Gachagua said during an interview with Kameme radio and TV.
“We plead with Mama Ngina as our mother to forgive us, in our community we do not throw insults at our parents, we need to change, even if we are in competition a parent remains a parent.”
Caused mistrust
The DP also came to the defence of retired President Uhuru Kenyatta whom he termed as “our son” only that politics caused mistrust between him and the people.
“The former President Uhuru Kenyatta is our son. We worked together for 17 years and only disagreed for 2 years and now that’s the past. I pray for him in his retirement. Uhuru is one of us. We shall talk with everyone,” said the DP.
Gachagua called on leaders to embrace unity within the Mount Kenya region and the country.
“Our unity is our strength and that’s why I keep insisting that our generation should be protected. Anytime we are in the government we need to have unison in our thinking and loving one another.”
He revealed that leaders in the region were in talks to bring the people together as they chart the way forward.
“I’m receiving messages from my known foes who are now supporting my bid to bring people together as it has been in the past,” he said.
The DP has had some beef with the Kenyatta family during the 2022 campaigns calling on Mama Ngina to surrender some land to the poor.
The DP added that he is ready to mobilise the Mau Mau families to receive the land from the former first family.
He said he supports the report of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report and its recommendations.
“The report is good. Initially I had discomfort with it but after being convinced by President William Ruto I support it. The recommendations such as reconstitution of the electoral commission, return of the official leader of opposition and entrenching the position of Prime Cabinet Secretary in the Constitution are good for the country,” he said.
One man, one vote
Speaking in an interview at vernacular stations Kameme TV and Kameme FM yesterday, the DP said the principle of ‘one man, one vote, and one shilling’, will be addressed even if it is not in the NADCO report.
“The ‘one man, one vote, and one shilling’ formula of sharing resources will be addressed even if it is not in the NADCO report. The formula is for fair distribution of resources based on numerical strength. In the national government we have good representation,” he said.
Regarding the forthcoming delimitation of boundaries, Gachagua assured Mt Kenya residents that no constituency will be scrapped over population quota. Instead, he said Mt Kenya deserves additional constituencies.
He cited areas like Kiharu and Kieni deserve sub-division because they are vast while others like Ruiru and Thika deserve sub-division because they are highly populated.
On the agriculture sector, the DP said the reforms in the coffee, tea, macadamia and avocado sub-sectors were bearing fruit.
Farmers’ earnings have increased since the Ruto Administration came to power, he said.
“Coffee farmers through their cooperatives can now access the direct sales,” said the Deputy President.
He added that the government is also turning focus on the revival of the pyrethrum sub-sector.
