Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has told politicians eyeing his position to look elsewhere, insisting that the office is fully occupied as he remains focused on serving Kenyans and supporting President William Ruto’s administration.
Speaking on Saturday at Nembure Grounds in Manyatta Constituency, Embu County, Kindiki said he would not be distracted by those seeking to take over the country’s second-highest office, promising to continue carrying out his responsibilities.
“Those who are after a seat should know the position of the Deputy President is not vacant. Someone is already occupying it and he is fully on it on the behalf of the people of Kenya,” DP noted.
Kindiki was addressing more than 30,000 elders drawn from Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Embu, Kirinyaga and Isiolo counties during the Mt Kenya East elders’ meeting.
The Deputy President assured the gathering that he would remain committed to helping President Ruto succeed while delivering on his duties as the Second in Command.
“I will not let you down. Despite what some people throw at me, I will not fail you, I will do my work well. I will make you proud,” Prof. Kindiki stated.
The meeting also saw elders from various traditional councils issue a declaration backing Kindiki and demanding that he be accorded respect by leaders, including those from Mt Kenya West.
The elders, drawn from Njuri Ncheke of Meru, Nyaangi Ndiriri of Mbeere, Kiama Kia Muembu of Embu and the Mwea Council of Elders, said Kindiki’s position in government and his role in promoting unity within Mt Kenya and across the country should be recognised.
“For decades, the people of Mt. Kenya East have stood firmly with leaders from Mt. Kenya West. We therefore believe that the time has come for the people of Mount Kenya West to reciprocate that solidarity by supporting Kithure Kindiki unconditionally as the Deputy President and in his future ambitions of becoming the first President of the Republic of Kenya from Mount Kenya East,” they said.
Kindiki, who is also a Njuri Ncheke elder, was further endorsed by the gathering as the political pointman for Mt Kenya. The elders said anyone seeking to engage the region on political or other matters should do so through the Deputy President.
“We express our full confidence and unwavering solidarity with the Deputy President Kithure Kindiki as a son of Mt. Kenya serving the Republic of Kenya in the nation's second-highest office. Therefore, any individual, leader or community seeking to engage the people of Mt. Kenya on any matter, including politics, shall do so through Deputy President Kithure Kindiki,” they declared.
The elders said their call for support was based on what they described as years of political backing for leaders from Mt Kenya West.
They cited their support for President Jomo Kenyatta, Mwai Kibaki, former Vice Presidents Joseph Karanja and George Kinuthia Kiarie Saitoti, as well as former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
“We collectively, as the people of Mount Kenya East, supported President Jomo Kenyatta for 15 years, Mwai Kibaki as Vice President for 12 years and later as President for 10 years, Vice Presidents Joseph Karanja and George Kinuthia Kiarie Saitoti, and later Uhuru Kenyatta as President for 10 years without question or division,” they added.
Kindiki said Mt Kenya East had consistently supported leaders from the western side of the region without demanding anything in return, but expressed concern over what he described as insults and verbal attacks directed at him.
He said the attacks were particularly unfortunate because he is the first person from Mt Kenya East to serve as Deputy President.
Kindiki also spoke about his relationship with his predecessor, Rigathi Gachagua, saying he had respected him while he served as Deputy President.
He said he never insulted Gachagua when he served as Interior Cabinet Secretary and maintained that the former Deputy President had been accorded respect because he was serving the entire Mt Kenya region.
“No one from our region insulted him because he was the Deputy President for all of us. I was Interior Cabinet Secretary and there is no day I insulted him. When he was removed from office, the President respectfully presented the opportunity to Mt Kenya to replace him. He had a choice to replace him with anyone else but he chose this region because he respects us,” Prof. Kindiki indicated.
Despite the political differences, Kindiki backed the elders’ proposal to open structured discussions with their counterparts from Mt Kenya West.
He said such talks would provide an opportunity for the two sides to agree on issues affecting the region’s political, economic, cultural and development future.
“We support the request by Mt Kenya East elders to talk with Mt Kenya West elders on how to bring our communities together. We will respect what they will agree on,” DP said.
The Deputy President also welcomed the elders’ demand for the faster completion of ongoing development projects and the start of projects already in the pipeline.
Among the projects raised by the elders was the proposed dual-carriageway linking Makutano, Embu, Chuka, Meru and Maua, as well as the redesign of Nithi Bridge.
Kindiki pledged to continue pushing for development in the region while supporting President Ruto in running the country.
“For us from Mt Kenya East, we must support President Ruto’s reelection next year because voting for him means we are voting for ourselves,” DP stated.