Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga has urged President William Ruto to retain the eight Cabinet positions allocated to Mt Kenya in the forthcoming appointments.
Speaking during an interview with Kameme FM on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, Kahiga emphasized the crucial support the region has provided and its instrumental role in Ruto’s previous electoral success.
“I want to remind the president that Mt Kenya gave him at least 3.5 million votes in the last elections, and we had eight seats with Mt Kenya representatives such as Justin Muturi, Alice Wahome, Moses Kuria, and others. Ruto needs to understand that all those seats held by Mt Kenya representatives were part of an agreement made with his Deputy, Rigathi Gachagua,” Kahiga stated.
Kahiga cautioned against arbitrary selections, stressing the need for appointing individuals dedicated to delivering results rather than those who might exploit their positions for personal gain.
“If he is listening to me, I want to remind Ruto that those seats belonged to us…and if he values the people of Mt Kenya, he should listen. In my opinion, I would warn him that picking anyone from another region will be the beginning of his downfall,” Kahiga added.
Kahiga asserted that the eight vacant seats previously held by Mt Kenya ministers should remain with individuals from the same region, while the remaining 14 positions could be reconsidered for candidates from diverse communities.
“I accept that we cannot force decisions on Ruto; however, all our eight seats should remain intact. This is a warning that if Ruto wants to assign other people from other regions to his cabinet, he should consider the other 14 vacant positions but leave the eight for Mt Kenya,” Kahiga insisted.
He concluded by urging Ruto to respect the region’s contributions and ensure fair representation in the upcoming Cabinet appointments.
“If he decides to touch any of the eight seats, then we will reconsider a few things. We shall count one seat after the other, and for every missing seat, he should consider that as lost votes whenever he needs our support. Ruto should remember that he did not give us these seats; we fought for them,” Kahiga warned.
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