Wars
Mathira MP Eric Wamumbi now claims his perceived fallout with Deputy President Rigathi Gchagua arose after a section of leaders misled the later on the war against illicit brews.
The first-time lawmaker had served as Konyu ward representative before Rigathi endorsed him to run for the Mathira legislative seat in the run up to the 2022 General Election. Rigathi had served in the area as a first time MP from 2017 to 2022 when Dr William Ruto picked him as his running mate for the presidency under the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party ticket.
But there have been allegations of a fallout between Wamumbi and Rigathi with a section of leaders from Mount Kenya claiming the MP is fighting his political mentor. However, during today’s (Thursday) Inooro TV breakfast show, the MP dismissed the claims insisting of his continuing loyalty to the Second in command.
He further stated that his protests arose from the way the Government officers were harassing bar owners in Karatina and other parts of Mathira in the disguise of fighting illicit brews. This, according to him, led to misery and woes among the traders who were put out of work despite being in possession of duly certified licenses from the County Government to operate their businesses.
“I have always been at the forefront in the war against illegal brews in my area including rallying the public in pouring out such drinks and destroying containers used for ferrying them. Unfortunately, chiefs went ahead and closed all bars in Mathira while hiding behind Rigathi’s clarion call for eradicating killer brews in the Mount Kenya region. This move has led to losses running into thousands of shillings in terms of earnings which I could not tolerate as a leader,”, he says.
Wamumbi further says the situation became so dire that revelers started crossing into neighbouring county of Kirinyaga to get their favourite drink during the five-month period the ban was in force.
He says he personally had a candid discussion with the DP where he openly revealed to him that the war on illicit brews had lost traction, and local administrators were closing down drinking joints irrespective of whether they possessed the prerequisite operating documents.
“When traders threatened to take to the streets on Monday this week in protest over closure of their bars, I decided to take the matter with Rigathi to find a way out. I told him without mincing words that his pet program had run into headwinds after chiefs and their bosses absconded their duty of fighting illicit brews and went after licensed bar owners. These administrators had even lied to the DP that close to 400 bars that had been closed were selling killer brews, an assertion that was incorrect,” he said.
The MP has also rubbished claims of waging a political war against Rigathi and insist that his loyalty to the DP remains rock solid.
Wamumbi also dismissed claims of waging a silent war against the DP on the war against illicit brews and substance abuse with blessings from powerful individuals in the government and stated that he has never received directions from anyone in the fight for the rights of his electorate.
“If I got instructions from a higher office in the quest to pushing for the rights of my people, that person could only be the Deputy President. If there was a higher power, it is the Deputy President whom I respect. I have stood with him through thick and thin even when all other leaders had taken off. I have equally supported him and even acknowledged him as the leader in the Mount Kenya region when few were afraid to do so. This is a position I still hold to date,”he told Inooro.
However, the MP said he only differed with the second in command after a section of leaders close to him misadvised him by pushing to seek an alternative political vehicle ahead of the 2027 General Elections. He says he flatly rejected the idea and advised its proponents on the need to remain in the current government since the interests of the people of Mount Kenya region had been taken care of.
“When I heard some people talking of looking for a new political vehicle in preparation for the next general polls, I disagreed. My reasoning arose from the fact that we had already secured a sizable number of slots in the current Kenya Kwanza administration and there was therefore no need to start rocking the boat from within. Any talk of thinking beyond 2027 was ill-informed, to say the least,” he stated.
Among leaders who have alleged the existence of a rift between Rigathi and Wamumbi is former Gatanga MP Nduati Ngugi. Ngugi also warned Wamumbi against falling into the trap of discrediting his predecessor noting that Rigathi played a great role in his election victory.
“The parting of ways between Gachagua and Wamumbi is the strongest indication that the DP has a problem. There are three people that you dare not deliberately offend –your mother, your father figure and your uncle,” he said on Sunday. “The man who acts as your father in bride price negotiations remains a revered symbol in your life even when you develop differences, you resolve them in private, “he added.