Unity of Mt Kenya will be a big win for the whole region

By  Geoffrey Ruku

Cabinet Secretary

Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes

Saturday, September 19, marked a very important turning point for the people of Mt Kenya, and by extension, the nation as a whole. It was a day for introspection and dialogue between brother and brother; a day when a people who had not been seeing eye-to-eye laid down their daggers and approached the table with clean hands.

The last few weeks have put our unity as the people of the Mountain to the test, with some of us calling for a political split. I personally led the calls for the separation of Mt Kenya East from Mt Kenya West.

The unity of the Mountain People has been taken for granted since time immemorial. In their wisdom, the forefathers of the three communities around Mt Kenya — the Gikuyu, the Embu and the Meru — came together in the name of a shared heritage, a common vision, and were united against common enemies. This united front, popularly known as Gema (Gikuyu, Embu, Meru Association), led a successful war for the liberation of Kenya from British rule. Gema’s numerical strength gave the people an advantage at the national level. Three of Kenya’s five presidents have been from the Mountain. Their numbers also came in handy in the election of the current President William Samoei Ruto, during the 2022 General Election.

Gema association

And yet, I was in the forefront calling for the dissolution of the union. My reasons are valid. It is my unbreakable belief that unity must be for the benefit of each member of an organisation. I also believe that any national position held by a Kikuyu, a Meru or an Embu is a position of the larger Gema association. The national position I hold, for instance, is as much a Gikuyu and Meru position as it is an Embu position. That is what I believe. That is what the founders of our association envisaged, and that is what I have lived by all my life, and especially in public service.

But the divisive and hateful brand of opposition politics that we are seeing now has threatened this firm foundation that was established by our forefathers. There have been attempts to plant a very poisonous seed to the effect that one section of the association is superior to other parts or that only its voice and members represent the true voice of the Gema. Those of us from Mt Kenya East, where Deputy President Prof Kithure Kindiki hails from, have recently felt like outsiders in the Gema. How does a group of leaders decide and declare that the Mountain people have been kicked out of government just because one man was impeached as DP? Is his replacement from Mt Kenya East not representing Gema?

When the former DP, Rigathi Gachagua, was in office, every member of Gema felt represented. Those of us from Mt Kenya East had no doubt that our son and brother from the west held our best interests as DP. The failure by the former DP and his followers to reciprocate when their brother, Prof Kindiki, took over the position is the bone of contention. Mark you, this is the first time anyone from the East is holding such a high position in the land. Mt Kenya West has held both the president’s and DP’s positions, and over the years, the east has given unwavering support to our brothers. Why the double standards?

Unity of the Mountain

That notwithstanding, I have made a conscious decision to root for the unity of the Mountain. That's the reason I joined thousands of Gema elders at Kirigiti Stadium on Saturday to forge a united front for the good of our people, under the guidance of the Gema spokesperson Prof Kithure Kindiki. That's the reason I will be moving around the Mountain to preach peace, unity and development of our region.

Time and time again, our history has not been shaped by those who stuck to their guns. However, it has largely been shaped by those who saw the bigger picture and chose a different path. I have chosen the path that will make the Mountain people stronger, happier and prosperous. I invite all our brothers and sisters from the Gema communities to embrace this path of mutual respect, common understanding and support for each other. Let the victory of one be the victory of all.

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The writer is Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes