Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua accuses MPs of opposing President Uhuru Kenyatta

Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua is assisted to fit a helmet by county officials during the launch of a road rehabilitation project by the county government at Gitero in Nyeri County, Thursday. [PHOTO: MOSE SAMMY/STANDARD]

KENYA: Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua has condemned three Nyeri legislators for failing to defend President Uhuru Kenyatta and the Jubilee Government against graft allegations.

Mr Gachagua said MPs Esther Murugi (Nyeri Town), Kabando wa Kabando (Mukurweini) and Kanini Kega (Kieni) were giving the Opposition grounds to ridicule Jubilee over their stand on the Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru saga.

"It is unfortunate that when these three Jubilee MPs speak, they are in support of the Opposition and siding with CORD leaders," he said.

The county boss was accompanied by several county assembly members and former Nairobi mayor Dick Wathika during the launch of a programme to gravel 300km of roads within the county in Gitero village.

He said the lawmakers should have spoken to the President privately instead of publicly making remarks through the media.

"As MPs, you are playing into the hands of the Opposition who are attempting to alarm Kenyans with accusations that the Jubilee Government is riddled with corruption," said Gachagua.

KEEP SILENT

He said the MPs should either support the President and his administration or keep silent, failure to which they would face the wrath of the electorate.

"As Jubilee MPs you were elected because of the support you declared for the President. If you cannot support him then shut up and wait for 2017," Gachagua said.

His sentiments were echoed by Mr Wathika, who said Central Kenya voters backed Uhuru. "The truth is that Kega and Murugi have been sucked into this situation by Kabando, who has constantly stood against President Kenyatta," he said.

But Mr Kega has maintained embattled Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru should step aside to pave way for investigations over alleged corruption in her ministry.

Kega also lashed out at Gachagua, who criticised them for openly disagreeing with other leaders over Waiguru and the graft war.

Kega clarified he was neither opposing nor fighting the President. "It was ridiculous for anyone to imagine I would serve to push the opposition agenda of tainting the government as corrupt," Kega observed.

Speaking at Mweiga town when handing Uwezo Fund cheques worth Sh1.9 million to 24 groups, the MP accused the Opposition of being political scavengers trying to gain political mileage by taking advantage of the war against corruption.

He accused Gachagua of using the issue to malign his name out of fear he was a threat to his political ambition.