• There are obviously a few bad apples like in any other basket that are trying to push their own selfish political agendas.
• As the President said, those making the most noise now will have no say in the region’s political direction as Uhuru exits.
Once upon a time, the Lion used to prowl about a field in which four Oxen used to dwell. Many a time he tried to attack them; but whenever he came near they turned their tails to one another so that whichever way he approached them he was met by the horns of one of them.
At last, however, they started quarrelling among themselves, and each went off to pasture alone in a separate corner of the field. Then the Lion attacked them one by one and soon made an end of all four.
The moral of the story is that unity is strength.
In the last couple of weeks, a number of things have happened related to the Mt Kenya region, which is President Uhuru Kenyatta’s backyard. These events have led a number of people to claim there is a rebellion against Uhuru.
But they are not seeing the danger of claims that the region is divided, while the President is seeking to unite the entire country. In fact, they forget that as Uhuru completes his second term, the region must remain united to ensure it can negotiate as a unit when the time comes.
The first event was the Sagana meeting, where Uhuru met various leaders and put across his message of unity and what the region was supposed to focus on. This was followed by the launch of the Building Bridges Initiative report at Bomas of Kenya.
In fact, Mt Kenya leaders support the BBI agenda and have vowed to ensure it works for the benefit of the region. They agree with him that the document creates a genuine path for Kenyans to follow and ensure the country remains united for prosperity.
After the launch, a group of Mt Kenya leaders met in Embu and issued a statement declaring the region’s position on BBI. Days later, the President addressed the BBI issue in Gatundu, warning Mt Kenya leaders about lecturing residents on it.
He said he was a bit angry because of the constant noise where leaders are always seeking to lecture wananchi on issues but do not tell their constituents what they are doing to make life better.
There are some who are saying that the Mt Kenya leaders are not on the same page as the President because they are being controlled from elsewhere. They even claim Uhuru has lost grip of Mt Kenya and is angry with the MPs because they are not reading from the same script.
But if you look at the situation critically, nothing can be further from the truth. From Sagana four weeks ago to Mangu last week, the President has commanded respect among the audience he has been speaking to.
They have listened to him and made it clear they support his agenda—that of uniting Kenyans and ensuring we not only have lasting peace but also maintain the country on the path of prosperity.
In fact, Mt Kenya leaders support the BBI agenda and have vowed to ensure it works for the benefit of the region. They agree with him that the document creates a genuine path for Kenyans to follow and ensure the country remains united for prosperity.
There are obviously a few bad apples, like in any other basket, that are trying to push their own selfish political agendas.
These few voices of dissent should not be taken as the stand of the entire Mt Kenya nation. They are most likely just focused on their own interests and do not care about Kenya’s future.
What Mt Kenya needs is to stay focused on unity as it plans on how to be on the negotiating table with Uhuru as the leader. There is no space for dissenting voices that only derail the process of ensuring that Mt Kenya is not seen as the enemy.
If you ask many Mt Kenya residents, they are focused on putting food on the table and money in their pockets. And they know, as the President said, those making the most noise now will have no say in the region’s political direction as Uhuru exits.