Over the past two weeks, a growing number of influential voices from Mt Kenya have publicly questioned the direction of politics in the region. From government officials to religious leaders, the message has been strikingly similar: the region deserves politics that unite rather than divide.
Communications official Dennis Itumbi was among the first to criticize what he described as politics driven by anger, tribalism and personal grievance. More recently, Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro appeared to distance himself from the increasingly confrontational political rhetoric dominating the region. Yesterday, JCM Bishop Benson Gathungu Kamau condemned attempts to politicize the church after facing criticism for hosting President William Ruto, reminding Kenyans that places of worship should not become battlegrounds for political vendettas.
These developments raise an important question: where is Mt Kenya being led?
Kenya has paid a heavy price whenever politics has been built around ethnic mobilization and bitterness instead of ideas and development. The region’s reputation has long been associated with enterprise, hard work and national leadership. It should not now be reduced to endless political hostility that pits neighbour against neighbour and family against family.
Criticism of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is not, for many of his opponents, about personalities. It is about rejecting a style of politics that they believe deepens divisions at a time when Kenyans are demanding solutions to the high cost of living, unemployment and economic growth.
Leadership should inspire confidence, encourage dialogue and bring people together. It should not thrive on perpetual confrontation or political resentment.
Mt Kenya’s future will not be secured through anger or tribal mobilization. It will be secured through unity, economic progress and leaders who place the country’s interests above personal political battles. That is the leadership the region—and Kenya—deserves.
