The Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) has rejected the endorsement of Deputy President Kithure Kindiki as the Mt Kenya region's kingpin. According to DCP Secretary-General and Nyandarua Senator John Methu, political leadership in the region is determined by the people, not by elders' endorsements. The party's stance comes after a gathering of Mt. Kenya elders at Kirigiti stadium in Kiambu, where they endorsed Kindiki as the region's kingpin.
The DCP, however, welcomed the resolution by Mt. Kenya elders to unite the region, saying it responds to calls by residents opposed to attempts to divide the mountain along political or regional lines. The party's leaders, including Senator Methu, expressed their rejection of Kindiki's endorsement, questioning his experience in Mt Kenya politics. They argued that Kindiki lacked sufficient experience to be considered the region's political kingpin.
Senator Methu, speaking at Ambassadors Christian Church in Kianjokoma in Embu County, emphasized that the question of who becomes the Mt.Kenya political kingpin should be determined by the residents. He cited that the community had produced leaders like Dedan Kimathi without needing elders' endorsements. Methu added that the residents would determine who their kingpin is, suggesting that it may not be Kindiki.
The leaders also criticized the decision by Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku to return a symbolic axe associated with the debate over dividing the Mt Kenya region. They argued that the elders had not originally handed the axe to political leaders and therefore should not have been the ones to receive it back. MP Gitonga Mukunji said that the elders had failed to unite the region and that Kindiki's endorsement was a sign of this failure.
The DCP's stance on Kindiki's endorsement has sparked a heated debate in the region, with some residents supporting the party's position. The Mt Kenya region has been a significant political hub in Kenya, with many leaders vying for influence and control. The region's elders had sought to unite the region by endorsing Kindiki, but the DCP's rejection has thrown a spanner in the works.
The rejection of Kindiki's endorsement by the DCP has also raised questions about the role of elders in determining political leadership in the region. Senator Methu's comments suggest that the party believes in a more democratic approach to leadership, where the people have a say in who leads them. This approach may resonate with some residents in the region who are opposed to being dictated to by elders.
The DCP's position on Kindiki's endorsement is a significant development in the Mt Kenya region's politics, and it remains to be seen how the region's leaders and residents will react to it. The party's stance on the matter has highlighted the complexities of political leadership in the region and the need for a more inclusive and democratic approach to determining who leads the region.
Key points
- The DCP rejects Kindiki's endorsement as Mt Kenya kingpin, citing that leadership is determined by the people.
- The party welcomes the resolution by Mt. Kenya elders to unite the region.
- The DCP questions Kindiki's experience in Mt Kenya politics, arguing that he lacks sufficient experience to be considered the region's kingpin.
