The media on Wednesday, October 1, covered the political events in the nation as the 2027 General Election approaches, with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) pledging to maintain the continuous voter registration process and urging citizens to participate in large numbers.
In other news, the media focused on the reported conflict between former president Uhuru Kenyatta and former vice president Rigathi Gachagua regarding the management of Mt Kenya.
1. Taifa Leo
A newspaper covered an alleged political conflict between former president Uhuru Kenyatta and ex-deputy president Rigathi Gachagua, which is claimed to be hindering attempts to build an opposition alliance in the nation, with each one presenting himself as the representative of the Mount Kenya area.
The continuous struggle is revealing fractures that experts claim may undermine the opposition’s cohesion against President William Ruto.
The second-in-command of the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), Cleophas Malala, has alleged that Uhuru’s Jubilee Party is planning to assault the DCP and weaken Gachagua’s public support.
Malala asserts that Jubilee is working with President Ruto’s UDA to split Mount Kenya, a region where Gachagua has been gaining support since leaving office.
“I come from Kakamega, not Mount Kenya, so I can speak and return home in the evening to eat my ugali. The party (Jubilee) should be cautioned against creating divisions, if it is truly part of the opposition,” said Malala.
He mentioned that Jubilee seems to be joining forces with Dr. Ruto’s UDA, comparing it to a red flag in Mt Kenya.
“If you collaborate with Kasongo (Ruto) and you are dispatched by the red flag, you do not have good intentions for our leader and the DCP as a whole,” stated Malala.
This follows after Jubilee, via its secretary general Jeremiah Kioni, criticized Gachagua for attempting to persuade Fred Matiang’i to establish his own party rather than joining Jubilee.
Kioni stated that Gachagua requested Matiang’i to disregard Jubilee and align with a minor party having origins in Kisii.
“He is President Ruto’s initiative and is attempting to mislead Kenyans,” Kioni stated about Gachagua in an interview on Tuesday.
The opposition alliance appears to be weaker following Uhuru’s revival of Jubilee, with recent developments clearly highlighting the conflict between him and Gachagua.
MP James Gakuya from Embakasi North, who supports Gachagua, stated that Jubilee seemed to be participating in the 2027 elections alone.
“There was an expectation that the opposition would unite, with Jubilee being a part of it. However, during yesterday’s Jubilee meeting, it appears they have chosen to act independently, possibly to back their candidate, who is likely Matiang’i,” said Gakuya.
I don’t have any concern because Matiang’i will only draw support from Kisii. I am confident that the Mlima votes won’t be split since Uhuru Kenyatta has selected a different candidate.
Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba, from the Kenya Moja group, stated that Uhuru remains the representative of Mlima Kenya.
Wamuchomba stated, ‘He brought the nation together. Now he is free to decide who will continue his efforts.’
He cautioned against the politics of condemnation, stating that no party or politician can assert control over the Mlima votes.
“It is unfortunate to witness the people of Mlima engaged in political disputes; this sense of self-assurance has reached an extreme! Before DCP, there were Jubilee, UDA, DP, and other parties. No one had the claim to the eight million Mlima votes. We previously stated that we would not be ignored! Uhuru Kenyatta is the leader of Mlima,” he added.
Experts caution that this dispute might result in additional fragmentation within the opposition, a period when cohesion is crucial to counter Ruto’s government.
