Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has told critics of his unity call to stop equating it with tribalism.
The Deputy President explained that the unity he is agitating for in Mount Kenya is to rally the region and all its people, including those who voted for the opposition, fully behind President William Ruto.
“When we are calling for unity of this region, it is not against anybody. There are people confusing our unity agenda with tribalism, they get it wrong. Far from it, people want unity of purpose so that we can effectively push for our fair share of the national cake and relevance in the national political discourse. If we are not united, we will not be strong,” said Mr Gachagua.
He spoke at Gikondi village, Mukurwe-ini, Nyeri county, at the memorial service of Elizabeth Muthoni, daughter of the former area MP Anthony Kiai.
He had the message when he addressed the people at Gikondi Township.
The Deputy President was in the company of a host of political leaders led by Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga.
“As we talk about national unity we cannot ignore unity at the regions or be divided at the counties. People unite because there are common things that they share. There cannot be unity in Kenya if the counties and regions are not united,” said Governor Kahiga.
Dismissing his critics, Deputy President Gachagua asked leaders to unite in their respective regions so that there can be cohesion in the country.
“I am happy because people at the grassroots are united and in support of our unity agenda,” he added. “The leaders fighting it and criticising should learn that all politics is local and they should listen to the ground.”
He further urged the other regions to unite so that they are able to address their local issues and also enhance national unity.
On the ongoing reforms in the Agriculture sector, the Deputy President urged coffee farmers to be patient with the Government’s efforts to revive the sub-sector.
“We are still on course to revive the coffee sub-sector and make the crop profitable. The President mandated me to lead the reforms. We are registering positive results,” he told farmers.
Last week President Ruto announced that the Government will provide a Sh6.9 billion debt write-off for coffee cooperatives.
