By The Weekly Vision Reporter
Fresh details have emerged of how some Mount Kenya MPs boycotted a dawn meeting invitation by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagwa at his Karen office. Reliable sources have revealed that the DP sent out invitations to MPs from the region. To his surprise, only 10 MPs showed up for the meeting; the majority chose to stay away.
According to information from our sources, the Deputy President called for the meeting to address the recent outbursts by Kapsaret MP Oscar Sudi, who had warned the DP to stop undermining President Ruto and the Kenya Kwanza administration. Nevertheless, the significant question remains unanswered as to why the MPs decided to boycott the meeting. Speculations suggest that President Ruto had received an intelligence brief regarding the scheduled gathering; it remains uncertain whether the MPs were contacted and advised against attending.
Certain MPs may have chosen to abstain from the gathering to avoid being perceived as allies of the Deputy President and to protect their political careers. Nevertheless, there is a narrative rapidly circulating that certain Members of Parliament were instructed to abstain from attending the meeting, and there were indications that some actions would be taken against those who would defy the directive.
According to sources, the Deputy President also played it safe, as he did not personally summon the 50 MPs but instead conveyed the message through his assistant. The DP’s waning support was highlighted during his recent visit to Uasin Gishu, where he was accompanied by less than ten MPs. This is a significant shift from the past when a majority of Mount Kenya MPs would rally behind him.
In contrast, despite the MPs snubbing his function in Uasin Gishu, MP Sudi was able to bring together MPs from both the Rift Valley and the western region to attend a parallel public event in Elgeyo Marakwet. It is widely believed that the main agenda of the failed meeting was to get the Kikuyu leaders to respond to Sudi’s attack on the DP.
There is also a notion that the Deputy President had planned to motivate MPs to publicly address the underdevelopment in their constituencies while advocating for the principle of one man, one shilling, one vote. Further, reliable sources reveal that the DP conspired to sway the Members of Parliament (MPs) against supporting the Finance Bill 2024. The underlying motive behind this plot was to send a strong message to President Ruto, emphasizing that the mountain region’s support cannot be taken for granted or overlooked. Analysts interpret this as a tactical move to challenge Ruto’s political strength and assess his level of influence.
However, what could account for the DP’s inability to consolidate his influence over Mount Kenya? There is a prevailing fear that the DP might seek to incite the Mount Kenya MPs to rebel against Ruto, thereby posing a threat to their political careers.
