Deputy President Kithure Kindiki with Senator Aaron Cheruiyot and other leaders in Baringo on August 1, 2025/HANDOUT
Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot has come out strongly in defence of Deputy President Kithure Kindiki over his ongoing national empowerment tours.
This, as he urged the courts to consider the voice of ordinary Kenyans in a petition filed at the High Court seeking to have leaders spearheading it account for the funds.
Kindiki and some other Kenya Kwanza leaders have been named as respondents in the case.
According to the petitioners, the money being dished out, totalling over Sh100million in just a few months, has not been budgeted for.
Speaking during an empowerment event in Baringo, Cheruiyot took a swipe at leaders questioning the amounts of money Kindiki is distributing, saying the Deputy President is just giving what he can afford.
“Naona wengine wanasema ati Kindiki anazunguka anapeana pesa kidogo, sijui shilingi sitini,” he said.
"Yeye anapeana ile anaweza. Kama mko na nyingi, si mupatiane hiyo?” (I hear some are saying Kindiki is going around giving out small amounts of money — sixty shillings or whatever. He's giving what he can. If you have more, then give that instead.)
He went on to condemn those who have gone to court seeking to stop the empowerment programme, terming them enemies of progress.
"Ati mpaka sasa kuna wenye wameenda kortini kusema hii programme ya empowerment isimamishwe. Tunasema washindwe!” (Can you believe some have even gone to court to stop this empowerment programme? We say — let them fail!)
The Kericho senator urged the judiciary to resist pressure from what he termed “Nairobi brokers” and instead take time to engage directly with wananchi at the grassroots who are the true beneficiaries of the programme.
"Na ningetaka kuomba mahakama… saa ile mnasikiliza kesi zingine kama hiyo, hapana sikiza mabrokers wengine wa Nairobi. Kujeni mashinani msikilize wananchi wengine kama wanataka ama hawataki.” (And I want to ask the courts... when you're hearing such cases, don’t just listen to these Nairobi brokers. Come to the grassroots and hear from wananchi if they want the programme or not.)
Cheruiyot’s remarks come amid growing debate over the transparency and structure of Kindiki’s empowerment programme, which involves issuing direct cash and material support to women and youth groups across the country.
