Deputy President Hon. Rigathi Gachagua has now resorted to bankrolling Nairobi MCAs from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Jubilee party to rebel against Governor Johnson Sakaja.
Gachagua met county assembly majority leader Anthony Kiragu met hours before he accused Sakaja of sponsoring Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition rally at Kamukunji on January 23 2023.
Kiragu accused the governor of allowing the opposition outfit to use the venue for the meeting and for giving his donation in terms of cash.
He further claimed the Nairobi governor facilitated the planning of the Azimio meeting and donated Charter Hall on one Sunday afternoon where various groups gathered during the day to strategise and mobilise funds towards the event.
Kiragu also claimed that the money used to plan the event was collected at Sakaja’s private office in Riverside.
“We are appealing to him to not wear a yellow T-shirt during the day and a blue one during the night,” Kiragu said.
Opposition chief Raila Odinga used the Kamukunji rally to announce that he does not recognize the presidency of Dr. William Ruto who was elected on UDA Party ticket.
But while waging war against Sakaja, DP Gachagua is trying to kill two birds with one bullet: He wants to edge out the governor to pave way for a Kikuyu to takeover forgetting that Sakaja’s deputy is a kikuyu and a former Nyandarua gubernatorial aspirant James Muchiri – and second, he is also struggling to scuttle Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi’s influence in Nairobi.
Gachagua who is silently fighting Mudavadi is not happy that the PCS fronted Sakaja for Nairobi’s top job and succeeded. He is convinced that Mudavadi is his greatest threat in 2027 running mate slot and therefore he is making every desperate move to whittle down his influence in Ruto’s administration.
The DP launched his offensive against Sakaja barely 100 days after he was sworn-in as he admonished him for barring matatu operators from the city’s cbd. Gachagua believes that all matatu operators are his tribesmen from Mt. Kenya region.
He spoke at Dedan Kimathi University of Technology when he accused the governor of making decisions that hurt Mt Kenya people despite their huge contribution in the city and for backing him during the August 2022 elections.
Sakaja’s policy pronouncements also included banning nightclub operations in residential areas which triggered war with Gachagua and a section of Mt Kenya politicians.
Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga who is a Gachagua sycophant used the war to rekindle Sakaja’s university degree controversy, threatening that Mt Kenya leaders could use it and initiate his impeachment.
Wamatinga also warned Sakaja over serious repercussions for picking a fight with Mr. Gachagua over the running of the country’s capital.
UDA MCAs who have been pocketed by Gachagua also accused
Sakaja of being a lone ranger and darling to Azimio politicians.
“Sakaja used the UDA ticket to seek votes for the seat and if he says he was elected by city residents, let him relinquish the seat and vie on an independent ticket,” Kiragu added.
The MCAs were not happy with Sakaja picking some of his cabinet nominees from individuals who supported Raila Odinga in the last elections.
The Azimio coalition is the majority at the Nairobi County Assembly, with 67 MCAs while Kenya Kwanza has 53 MCAs. Three MCAs were elected as independents.
Governor Sakaja has however maintained that he will work with Azimio allies, arguing that Nairobi is cosmopolitan and does not belong to one community. He has also trashed claims that his policies are hurting Kikuyu businesses, arguing that restoring law and order is for the good of all Nairobians.
