Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has urged leaders in the Mt Kenya region to embrace political competition without allowing differences to fracture communities, as he stepped up his development tour of Nyeri County.
Prof Kindiki said elders from the Kikuyu, Embu, Mbeere and Meru communities had tasked him with helping preserve the unity of the wider Mt Kenya region and that he would honour their directive.
He said the region should not be divided into Mt Kenya East and West on account of political affiliations, arguing that communities in the region had shared historical, cultural and economic interests.
“Mt Kenya is one. There is no East or West. We cannot divide it. It has always been one,” Prof Kindiki said on Friday while addressing residents at Chaka in Kieni Constituency.
The Deputy President spoke days after a section of Mt Kenya elders gathered at Kirigiti Stadium in Kiambu and endorsed him as their spokesperson and representative, while calling for unity among the region’s communities.
Prof Kindiki said the elders had specifically asked him to promote peaceful political competition rather than engage in political exchanges that could deepen divisions.
“We might be affiliated to different formations but the elders requested me to ensure peaceful political contests. Aspirants will sell their agenda and voters will decide who to vote for,” he said.
His remarks came as he inspected and launched development projects in Nyeri, using the visit to highlight roads, markets, electricity connections, agriculture and employment as key areas of the Government’s investment in the region.
The DP said Nyeri has been allocated Sh45 billion for the tarmacking of 775 kilometres of roads across the county’s six constituencies.
He said the programme was intended to improve connectivity, open up markets and stimulate economic activity while creating employment for skilled and unskilled workers.
At Chaka, Prof Kindiki inspected ongoing township road works and directed that additional carriageways be incorporated into the programme. He also said the works would be extended to Kiawara to improve the urban centre.
The Government’s wider road construction programme has gathered pace after the Treasury cleared substantial arrears owed to contractors, enabling stalled projects to resume. The DP said earlier this week that Sh179 billion in outstanding road contractor bills had been paid.
The road programme, he said, would also help revive the construction industry and generate opportunities for young people and local enterprises.
Prof Kindiki said Nyeri was also benefiting from investments in affordable housing, fresh produce markets and student hostels valued at about Sh17 billion, with additional projects worth Sh5 billion in the pipeline.
Modern markets are planned or under construction in several trading centres, including Nyeri Town, Marikiti in Mathira, Othaya, Gakindu in Mukurweini, Ihururu in Tetu, Endarasha, Naro Moru and Kiawara.
The facilities are expected to provide traders, particularly small scale fresh produce vendors, with more organised and dignified trading spaces.
However, the Deputy President acknowledged that some projects require closer supervision. Citizen Digital reported that he warned a contractor over the stalled Sh1.2 billion Kiawara Market, while saying the Naromoru and Endarasha markets were nearing completion.
The Government is also progressing with other urban infrastructure projects, including Ruringu Stadium in Nyeri Town.
On electricity access, Prof Kindiki said Sh650 million had been allocated for additional last mile connections expected to benefit about 12,000 households in Nyeri.
Kieni Constituency alone is set to receive about Sh364 million to connect an additional 5,000 households to the national grid, according to the figures presented during the visit.
The latest allocation builds on earlier electrification programmes in the county. In February, the DP said Sh754 million had been set aside to connect an additional 9,500 homes in Nyeri, including Sh450 million for 3,500 households in Kieni.
Agriculture was another major theme of the visit, with Prof Kindiki highlighting reduced input costs and improved producer prices as measures intended to increase farmers’ incomes.
He cited the reduction of subsidised fertiliser prices from Sh7,000 to Sh2,000 a bag, maize seed prices from Sh300 to Sh150 a kilogramme and sexed semen from Sh8,000 to Sh1,400 a dose.
The Government has previously linked reductions in farm-input prices to its broader agricultural reform programme aimed at lowering production costs and increasing food production.
Prof Kindiki also pointed to improved prices for milk and coffee as part of efforts to raise household incomes in the agricultural economy.
“This is what we are focused on to develop every part of the country, to put more earnings in the pockets of farmers and improve the lives of the people,” he said.
The Deputy President said infrastructure projects were providing employment opportunities for young people, while other opportunities were being created through recruitment of teachers, security personnel and public officers.
He also cited overseas job placement programmes and digital employment opportunities being supported through Jitume laboratories and ICT hubs.
The Government has previously said infrastructure projects are intended not only to provide physical facilities but also to create jobs and develop skills among young people living in project areas.
Prof Kindiki said political differences should not translate into violence, urging leaders and their supporters to compete on the basis of their ideas and allow voters to determine their preferred candidates.
He referred to political contests involving prominent leaders in 1992 and 2002 as examples of periods when political competition did not necessarily have to result in violence.
“We should not allow violence to take over our politics. We are not a region known for violence despite political differences. We are wealth creators, not destroyers,” he said.
He added that “Everyone should sell their agenda and voters will decide. The winner serves all and the loser waits for their time.”
The DP also said he would avoid political insults and instead concentrate on development and efforts to unite the region.
“The elders asked me to let actions speak and ensure development continues in the region. You will not see me engage in a competition over insults,” he said.
Prof Kindiki further announced plans to convene a meeting with senior police officers next week to strengthen the fight against illicit alcohol and drug abuse in the Mt Kenya region.
The move comes amid growing concern among leaders and community groups over substance abuse and its effects on young people.
The DP said the Government would continue working with elders and local leaders to address the problem.
The visit was accompanied by a strong local political presence, including Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga, Kieni MP Njoroge Wainaina, Mathira MP Eric Wamumbi, Othaya MP Wainaina Wambugu, Energy Principal Secretary Alex Wachira, MCAs and other leaders.
Mr Wainaina said leaders would continue supporting development initiatives in the region.
“We will support the Government because it has brought development to our people. We are grateful to the Deputy President for being in the forefront pushing for completion of the projects and allocation of more,” the Kieni MP said.
Mr Wamumbi, meanwhile, linked the region’s political and development interests, saying leaders would reciprocate the support they had received.
The Nyeri tour therefore combined two messages from the Deputy President a push to showcase Government development projects and an appeal for political cohesion in a region where competition for influence is already intensifying ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The Kirigiti elders’ declaration last week formally called for unity among the Agikuyu, Ameru, Aembu and Ambeere communities and designated Prof Kindiki as their spokesperson and representative.
