12 hours Ago By Steve Ireri
Kikuyu Member of Parliament and National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah has called on the residents of Tharaka Nithi to throw their full support behind President William Ruto’s bid for a second term in 2027, asserting that this would pave the way for his current deputy, Kithure Kindiki, to succeed him as president. Speaking when he accompanied President Ruto in the county on Friday, April 4, 2025, Ichung’wah appealed to the residents, emphasising that they would be the beneficiaries if Kindiki were to become president, and insisted that their support would depend on whether Ruto remained in office after the 2027 elections. According to Ichung’wah, Ruto deserves to serve a full 10 years without interruption, as has been the tradition for other leaders, and he noted that it would be a natural transition for his deputy to take over once Ruto’s tenure ended.
“In 2027, what do you think? Let Ruto complete his second term; after that, who will continue from there? Who? You said that in 2027, Ruto should complete his ten years. It’s ten years without a break. Once we finish that, let us go to Kithure Kindiki,” Ichung’wah urged the crowd.
Mt Kenya West support Furthermore, Ichung’wah pointed out that the people of Mt Kenya West and the Kikuyu community , in particular, felt a deep sense of indebtedness to Mt Kenya East and Tharaka Nithi, having been fully supported during the presidential campaigns of former leaders from the region. He cited Uhuru Kenyatta as one of these leaders, stating that he had served a decade without disruption, alongside Mwai Kibaki, who he said also ruled for ten years, and Jomo Kenyatta, whose leadership had been facilitated by the overwhelming support from the eastern counties. For this, he said, it would be an honour to return the favour by backing Kindiki to assume the presidency in 2032 after Ruto’s tenure as a way of showing gratitude for the support they had received in the past.
“We, as the Kikuyu, don’t get upset by how you give us your votes in Mt Kenya West. Uhuru Kenyatta, didn’t he serve his ten years? Mwai Kibaki also served his ten years, and even Jomo Kenyatta did too. We too will return this favour when Ruto completes his ten years; we will give Kindiki the presidency as a way of showing our appreciation.
” Better place Ichung’wah, who reminded President Ruto that he was a well-known figure in the Muthomi-Njuki-led county, further added that Tharaka Nithi had, in 2022, been deeply concerned, fearing that it might be left in a precarious political position. He recalled that, alongside President Ruto, he had visited the county in April 2022 and witnessed the discontent among the people, who had even shed tears. However, Ichung’wah noted that due to Kindiki’s exemplary conduct as a Cabinet Secretary, showing decorum and respect for leaders, he had earned President Ruto’s trust and ultimately became the country’s Deputy President, thus dispelling the political anxiety that had plagued the people of Tharaka Nithi.
“I remember at the end of May 2022, we were here in Kathwana, and I saw the tears of the people of Tharaka Nithi as they cried for Kindiki. But today, there are no tears because Kindiki is now the Deputy President, thanks to his noble character. He is patient, respectful, and a unifier,” Ichung’wah reflected, praising Kindiki’s role in easing the region’s concerns.
Unwanted The Kenya Kwanza MP’s remarks came just a day after he faced the music in an event that captured widespread attention on Thursday, April 3, 2025, after President William Ruto handed him the microphone during the launch of Ol Kalou town’s last-mile electricity connectivity. What was expected to be a routine occasion quickly descended into chaos as the crowd, clearly irate, began waving their hands in fierce opposition to him taking the stage, making it abundantly clear that they were uninterested in his speech. Despite his efforts to continue, Ichung’wah’s words were drowned out by boos that intensified, creating a hostile atmosphere that left him visibly stunned by the public rejection.
In a last-ditch attempt to win the crowd over, Ichung’wah promised that the jobs from the affordable housing project, which the president had pledged, would be allocated to the young people in attendance. “They have said that all the stonework for the affordable housing project should be given to these young men from affordable housing,” he said. However, this only seemed to stoke the crowd’s anger further, with their jeers growing louder and more insistent, forcing him to abandon his speech.
At this point, Ichung’wah, clearly frustrated, responded by asserting that he would not be silenced, declaring that neither he nor any leader from Nyandarua would be intimidated. “Calm down; I am not someone who gets shouted down, Mr President; I am not one to be silenced. As we have said, here in Ol Kalou and across Nyandarua, no one will be bullied into silence, and I will not be intimidated—God is my witness.
” His declaration, however, did little to calm the situation, and with no sign of the crowd relenting, he ended his speech sarcastically thanking them for their hostility with a curt, “May God bless you; thank you very much.” S.I.
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