By FRED MAKANA
In a Jubilee Mashinani meeting at Gatundu North attended by 10mps, there was a sombre moment when residents said they have realised they were misled by tanga tanga to insult and deride President Uhuru’s impressive development record and his genuine love for his people.
A Jubilee Mashinani meeting attended by more than 1000 residents and graced by 10 MPs turned out to be a confession of sorts after residents said they have sadly realised that they had been misled on the BBI and been made to hurl insults on President Uhuru.
The town hall meeting organised by area MP Wanjkiku Kibe went dead silent as Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni took through the residents the BBI proposals and the Sh 54.3 billion the region lost when the document was frustrated by the courts.
Kioni who was using roll-up banners and power-point presentations to drive his points home, also took the residents through the development record of President Uhuru that left them surprised.
It was at that point that members of the audience raised their hands and asked President Uhuru to forgive them saying they had been misled to by lies from tanga tanga and the UDA brigade.
The thousands of residents who converged in Gituamba Ward, Gatundu North pledged to remain in Jubilee and take the direction President Kenyatta will guide them to follow.
“We are sending you on our behalf as Gatundu residents to tell our beloved president Uhuru Kenyatta that we are in Jubilee to stay and those who have peddling lies that we have abandoned Jubilee are prophets of doom” said Mwangi Nduati the Gituamba MCA who spoke on behalf of the residents.
The MPs led by their host Wanjiku Kibe (Gatundu North), Jude Njomo (Kiambu Town), Jeremiah Kioni (Ndaragwa), Ngunjiri Wambugu (Nyeri Town), Sabina Chege (Muranga), Peter Kimari(Mathioya) and Ngugi Nduati(Gatanga) hit out at Deputy President William Ruto for misleading Mt Kenya residents that Jubilee party is dead.
They pledged to rally the region behind Azimio La Umoja presidential hopeful Raila Odinga’s presidential bid saying he was best placed to complete Uhuru’s legacy projects.
“Jubilee party is here to stay and those who have been selling false narratives that the party is dead is a clear indication that they do not have the interests of Mt Kenya at heart as they have been claiming. They have been embraced UDA in their backyard yet they refer Mt Kenya parties as village parties,” Wambugu said.
The Nyeri Town legislator Said a scheme had been plotted to render the region partyless for easy manipulation by DP Ruto for his own selfish political gains.
“How comes Amani National Congress ( ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi and his Ford-Kenya counterpart Moses Wetangula are being given special treatment in Kenya Kwanza as principals yet nobody from Mt Kenya has been pabtised with the same tittle. The people of Mt Kenya have no any other option than to remain in Jubilee where their future is guaranteed,” he said.
Wambugu warned DP Ruto against disrespecting President Uhuru and dismissed claims by UDA that Raila is a government project.
“Uhuru is our own son and has done alot for our region and the country. We are not going to watch as people who have since 2018 been sabotaging his development agenda hurl insults at him and at the same time claim a stake in his achievements,” the MP told the crowd.
Kibe and Chege said Mt Kenya region has never abandoned Jubilee the propaganda is slowly fading away.
The seven MPs urged the residents to vote for Jubilee candidates for MCA, Governor, Senator, Women Rep and MP in the August 9 polls.
“All the noise you hear in public rallies that UDA is popular in Mt Kenya are lies meant to hoodwink you into abandoning a party you have called home over the years. We are firmly in Jubilee and we are going to move house to house to deconstruct this seeds of discord that have been planted among our by self-seeking individuals hellbent to see our people divided,” said Kibe said.
This is after the residents vowed to rally behind her quest for another term through Jubilee.
She said the Jubilee government has achieved alot for the region.
“In 2007 DP Ruto had his interests elsewhere yet Uhuru went ahead and gave him a lifeline in 2013 and instead of appreciating he is leading his troops in hurling insults at the head of state,” the Muranga women rep said.
She took a swipe at Ruto for sponsoring weak candidates in the 2017 polls with ulterior motives of wanting to rock Uhuru’s government before his term in office comes to an end.
On his part Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni asked the Gatundu residents to ignore DP Ruto’s overtures saying they are akin to a trap meant to propel him to power only to abandone them after elections.
“This man has not interests of Mt Kenya at heart and is out to use the community for his own selfish political gain. He is on record for opposing the one man-one vote- one shilling revenue sharing formulae as outlined in BBI initiative,” Kioni said.
He cited the 2010 constitution which Ruto opposed yet he continues to enjoy it’s fruits.
“Politics is about interests and the president has just spoken and our people will not follow somebody blindly. Raila has supported the president when DP Ruto abandoned him five years ago. Baba has equally been at the forefront in support of more resources to Mt Kenya why can we deny him the opportunity when he has been there for us during trying moments” the Ndaragwa MP said.
He said Mt Kenya lost Sh 53.4 billion as outlined in the BBI draft bill.
