Mt Kenya elders slam Gachagua over Kindiki attacks

Mt Kenya elders have come out to strongly condemn former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over his sustained attacks on his successor, Kithure Kindiki.

Led by the Meru region chairman, Adriano Aruyaru, the elders insisted that Kindiki must be respected because of the position he holds in the country.

In a resolute statement issued in Runyenjes and dubbed "The Runyenjes Declaration," the elders, speaking drawn from the Njuri Ncheke (Meru and Tharaka Nithi), Nyangi Ndiriri (Embu), and Ngome (Mbeere) councils, reiterated the position they took in the Izaak Walton Declaration of September 15, 2024. At that time, they withdrew their support for Gachagua and endorsed the then-Interior Cabinet Secretary, Prof. Kindiki, now serving as Deputy President.

“Prof Kithure Kindiki is the deputy president of Kenya and a Njuri Ncheke elder; he must be respected,” he said.

The over 3,000 elders of the Meru region council cover Meru, Tharaka Nithi and Isiolo counties.

Aruyaru said the former DP must at all times respect President William Ruto and his deputy Kindiki because they are the country's leaders.

“Rigathi Gachagua, stop insulting Kindiki. You say he has no bass, but people listen when he speaks and respect him. Respect the leaders of the country.”

The elders reiterated that they only work with the government of the day, and any other person who wants to work with them must wait for the 2027 elections.

They added that whoever is elected president also becomes their president.

“Njuri Ncheke works with the government of the day. We cannot work with the Opposition, wait for elections in 2027, and whoever wins will be the president of Njuri Ncheke,” Aruyaru said.

They praised Parliament for the lawful impeachment of Gachagua and for appointing Prof. Kindiki as Deputy President, a move that was unanimously endorsed by lawmakers.

The elders lauded Kindiki's performance in his first eight months in office, noting his focus on discipline, development, and national unity.

In a unified voice, they vowed to protect and defend Prof. Kindiki, urging him to remain focused on his mandate and to continue working closely with the President to deliver development across the country.

“Anyone attacking Prof. Kindiki is attacking all of us. We stand with our Deputy President and will not allow political chaos to return to our region,” they emphasised.

The elders further called on Prof. Kindiki to continue bridging the gap between Mt. Kenya East and West, and to help lead the region with wisdom and integrity while supporting President Ruto in uniting the nation.

The battle for the control of Mt Kenya has been gradually escalating as Gachagua and Kindiki engage in a war of words.

Gachagua has become a big critic of the ongoing economic empowerment initiatives led by Kindiki.

Kindiki has been spearheading a team of senior Kenya Kwanza–allied leaders in a whirlwind of harambees across the country to ostensibly empower Kenyans.

However, in a hard-hitting statement on May 24, 2025, Gachagua warned that these fundraisers are being conducted at the expense of essential service delivery.

Despite Gachagua’s criticism, Kindiki has insisted that the social empowerment campaigns are designed to help small businesses and “hustlers” access capital.

The former DP has also used Kindiki’s voice as an affront against him, but the second in command dismissed Gachagua’s mockery of his voice and repeated calls to vote out the Kenya Kwanza administration in 2027 as mere attempts to divert attention from critical national priorities

Kindiki recently launched a scathing attack on his predecessor, accusing him of relying on "hollow threats, arrogance, and incompetence" to sustain his political relevance.

"While it is clear that your intentions are to distract and derail meaningful discourse, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the solemn duty of nation-building, as mandated by the responsibilities of our office," Kindiki added.