Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has called upon leaders from the Central region to rally behind President William Ruto.
Contradicting his recent remarks where he highlighted the significant contribution of the Mt Kenya region in last year's general elections, he emphasized that the region deserves its fair share in the government as key stakeholders.
Speaking on Saturday night at the Nyeri Golf Club to business communities and leaders from the Central region, Gachagua said the unity and solidarity of local leaders and that their support for President William Ruto would ensure their interests are heard at the highest levels of government.
"Our call for Unity is for value. We want to leverage our strengths to secure President Ruto's term the way we did to ensure he got into office. We are rallying Mt Kenya behind him," he said.
He added that there is a need for everyone to forget about their political differences during last year's general election, stating that it is a democratic country where everyone has a right to vote.
"Political competition is behind us, and what we are doing now as government is to mobilize all our capacities towards building Kenya, especially as this group here whose primary business is creating wealth and engaging with our economy," he said.
During the meeting, Gachagua staunchly defended the government's stance on the high cost of fuel, attributing it to the ongoing crises in Ukraine and the Middle East.
He argued that these external factors have significantly impacted global oil prices, leaving the government with limited control over the situation.
"Many people have accused the government of escalating the cost of fuel. There is no responsible government that can do that. It is only that this is a matter beyond control," he said.
He added that the subsidization of fuel was unsustainable due to the previous regime accruing a fuel subsidy debt of Sh140 billion.
"When we took over the government we found that there was a total debt amounting to Sh9.8 trillion, and the fuel subsidy debt was at Sh140 billion, but Ruto's government has managed to pay Sh120 billion," he said.
Gachagua urged Central region businesses to unite and contribute to national growth through collaborative efforts and utilization of their collective capabilities.
"As a business community, we must bring our best efforts and capacities forward to build Kenya because our numbers mean we are the primary beneficiaries when things go well, and primary casualties when things go wrong. We need our resources together to create employment for the youth in the nation," he said.
The DP portrayed a deep understanding of the challenges the country is facing and called on Kenyans to be patient with the Ruto Administration, which he said was working hard to stabilize the economy.
"I urge Kenyans to exercise patience. The president has been travelling around nations in search of resources to ensure the country's economy is stable," he said.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua was accompanied by Governors Mutahi Kahiga (Nyeri), Joshua Irungu (Laikipia), Irungu Kang'ata (Muranga) and Muthoni Njuki (Tharaka nithi) and a delegation of 68 MPs and senators from the region.
