Leaders in the Mt Kenya region have criticised Rigathi Gachagua over DCP''s popularity, insisting a single political party cannot lead the region.
Leaders of several political parties with support in the Mt Kenya region have criticised former Deputy President and Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua, insisting a single political party cannot lead the region.
Speaking on Tuesday, August 4, the leaders, led by Party of National Unity (PNU) leader Peter Munya and Democratic Party leader Justin Muturi, accused Gachagua of disrespecting fellow leaders and portraying himself as the sole political leader of the region.
The leaders maintained that Mt Kenya has historically been guided by consultation among leaders rather than by the dominance of a single individual or political outfit.
"We have nothing against him, but we are telling him he has to carry himself with dignity while dealing with other leaders. You cannot have a region where there is one leader. We are all leaders and, as Mt Kenya, we have lived that way for many years. Our values and the way we operate are that leaders respect other leaders and listen to the positions of other leaders," Munya said.
Drawing comparisons with former President Uhuru Kenyatta, Munya argued that even past leaders had never sought to make a single party the exclusive political vehicle for the region.
"Even when they were sitting presidents, they did not say this is the only single party for this region. The danger that kind of behaviour brings is greater than us keeping quiet," he said.