The ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) grassroots elections in Nairobi pitting Governor Johnstone Sakaja against Embakasi North James Gakuya has exposed the deep-rooted rivalry and differences between the UDA allied leaders in Nairobi with the matter roping in Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Azimio allied leaders.
Gakuya, a staunch ally of Gachagua has claimed that the reasons why he is vying for the Nairobi chairmanship is because Mt Kenya region community was neglected and abandoned by the Sakaja administration and that his bid seeks to give the community a sense of belonging in Nairobi.
He claimed that despite the community voting for Sakaja overwhelmingly, his natives got nothing in his administration including jobs while in the ruling party, they do not have representatives from his community.
“Mt Kenya region is suppressed, and a time has come that we must demand for positions that will make us know our stake in the UDA party. We performed dismally during the 2022 general elections and if elected the UDA chairman in Nairobi, I will use my networks to ensure that we get more seats in 2027 because as it is for now, Nairobi is governed by the Opposition,” Gakuya said.
According to the MP, among the issues that the region will be pushing includes agitating for review of the three Deputy Party leader positions in the UDA party constitution on claims that the existence of the three positions in the party was a booby trap against Gachagua in the 2027 re-election game plan.
“With our presence in the party leadership we shall agitate for the party leadership to mirror the Executive because there may be a hidden card to have Gachagua, the senior most politician in Mt Kenya, to undergo a nomination competition against the other two would be Deputy party leaders if they don’t listen to us we shall make a statement,” said the MP.
The Mp who has been hopping from one vernacular station to the other claimed that the community has also been taken in circles In the ruling party claiming he wanted to vie so that ‘they can fight from within’.
“In Nairobi, our community has been sidelined, in the party our interests have been abandoned and in the national government, projects are being dished to the Opposition, our region has been reduced to voting robots. We have been so good and now enough is enough, we must decide whether we shall go on our own instead of filing pots for the other people,” Gakuya said in Kameme tv.
He further claimed that in the recent grassroots elections, his camp secured 14 constituencies out of the 17 constituencies a move he said will handle him a comfortable win in the county congress elections as it is the delegates elected from the grassroot that will appoint Ward, Constituency and then County officials.
On his part Sakaja, who has conspicuously received a political backing from Opposition members, claimed he was being fought for his decision to work with Opposition chief Raila Odinga but claimed he will continue working with all the leaders In the city.
Last week Makadara MP George Aladwa defended Sakaja and urged his critvis to allow him to deliver his promises to the electorate arguing that it was too late to criticize the governor.
“Sakaja was voted in as Nairobi Governor the day and as such he was announced during the broad daylight and sworn-in in daytime and hence should be allowed to work and should be respected,” Alandwa said on Sunday.
Barely two weeks ago, all four UDA elected MPs alongside a host of MCAs accused Sakaja of mismanaging the city and said the city was heading In the wrong direction.
“Nairobi City is drowning in the murky lakes of free-flowing sewerage, estates buried in mountains of garbage, taps whistling tunes of dryness, as storm waters flood homes and businesses,” Kiarie said in the joint statement.
Gachagua who is said to be supporting Gakuya in the Nairobi chairmanship on Saturday while speaking during a function in Langata dismissed the critics who have questioned his involvement in Nairobi County affairs.
“We have homes and families here. If Nairobi is not thriving, we will not be happy. So nobody should question our interest in Nairobi because this is the capital city. We will continue working together with the county,” the second in command said.
He added “Nairobi is too important to be ignored, together with President William Ruto we have agreed to take a keen interest in Nairobi and we will help restore her glory. We are not doing this just because we have voters in the city but we are also stakeholders.”
Yesterday, while speaking during the Labour day celebrations, the President seemed to delve in the issue of tribalism where he talked harshly on leaders who were keen on dividing Kenyans along the tribal lines terming the move as backward, primitive and retrogressive.
“I urge leaders to stop dividing Kenyans on the basis of tribalism. I urge the leaders and advise them that tribalism will not change the lives of anybody and when you see a leader propagating politics on the basis of tribalism, he is bankrupt because when one lacks agenda or plan he sticks to ethnicity because it is the last resort to for such a leader,” he said