Limuru III: The return of Uhuru as leaders form Haki coalition

Former Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni, Narc Kenya leader Martha Karu and former governor Ndiritu Mureithi during Limuru III meeting at Jumuiya Conference in Kiambu. [George Njunge, Standard] Former President Uhuru Kenyatta seems to have made a comeback in the political sphere after a resolution of Limuru III on Friday named him as the leader of the Haki Coalition that they unveiled. The coalition which brings together 31 political parties with roots from Mt Kenya region will be the political vehicle for Mt Kenya and will be used to push for the region's political, social and economic agenda. "Now therefore, we the people of Mt Kenya region do hereby, solemnly resolve that we shall work toward uniting the region in all the three thematic areas, political, economic, and socio-cultural," part of the resolutions read in part. The meeting was held at the historic National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) owned Jumuiya Conference in Kiambu where participants used the opportunity to defend the retired President. They also hit out at the Kenya Kwanza administration for allegedly 'sponsoring goons to invade Kenyatta's farm in Ruiru last year'. And in a warning shot aimed at some leaders who have been promoting wrangles in the region by inciting leaders to fight one another, the meeting resolved that there will be no more infighting between leaders regardless of their political persuasions. "The third President Mwai Kibaki set a precedent of respecting the former Head of State and President William Ruto must respect Uhuru so that he can be respected when we send him home in 2027," Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua said. The meeting that brought together a section of Mt Kenya leaders from across the Azimio and UDA both elected and former leaders, resolved to protect Mt Kenya leaders from any political aggression by the Kenya Kwanza administration. "No leader from the larger Gikuyu Embu Meru Association (Gema) will attack each other since we are uniting to resist oppression. If you are outside this grouping and you think you can be used to destroy your house, you should know that you will also end up at your home when the night falls and you will have destroyed your home," Karua said. Leaders who addressed the forum refrained from attacking Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua while their calls for unity resonated with his. Former Kiambu Speaker Stephen Ndichu claimed Mt Kenya region lacked political power saying there is a need to reclaim it in 2027 polls by fielding a presidential candidate even as he urged the region to sympathize with Gachagua saying he was powerless in Ruto's administration. "After today's meeting, we shall go on to hold other forums which will crystalise in sponsoring a presidential candidate in 2027 polls," he said. adding that he would spearhead efforts to reconcile Gachagua and Uhuru because they are brothers and elders of the Agikuyu community. "We don't want a situation where a brother is rising against the other. We are a community and we must come together for the sake of our region," he said. Kikuyu Council of Elders (KCE) chairman Wachira Kiago said elders have been reaching out to like-minded communities to form a strong bloc in readiness for the 2027 elections. "We recently reached out to Akamba elders and a process of reintegrating them back to the Gema association is underway. Plans are underway to meet the elders from Abagusii and Maasai communities because they are also part of us," Kiago said. Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba, who was elected on a UDA ticket while recognizing Uhuru as her political father disclosed how after realising that she misled the community looked for the retired president and begged for forgiveness. "He warned us not to elect the Kenya Kwanza administration but we went against his wishes. When I realised I misled our people, I personally looked for Uhuru and begged him to forgive me and he responded by directing me to restore the river back to its course," Wamuchomba said. She accused Ruto's administration of introducing punitive taxes aimed at impoverishing Mt Kenya residents claiming the proposed taxes contained in the Finance Bill 2024 are aimed at 'taking over the property of the Agikuyu community'. She said Ruto and the Opposition leader Raila Odinga were now reading from the same script and urged the leaders to work together. Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu sought forgiveness from the gathering saying he was still haunted for misguiding them in the run-up to the 2022 General Election. Kioni used his opportunity to attack the government for its punitive taxes against ordinary Kenyans. "They claim that the reason why they are taxing bread is to protect Kenyans from diabetes which is outrageous but we can't expect a disaster to declare flood disaster a disaster," he said. Other issues that featured in Friday's meeting included the Ndabibi land saga where delegates fundraised Sh100,000 to bail out two people arrested and charged in court for malicious damage to property. The piece of land has been at the centre of a dispute. Other issues included "the one man, one vote, one shilling revenue sharing formula where leaders resolved to push so that Mt Kenya region could get 'its fair share' of the national cake among others. From the Limuru III, the delegates from the specific counties will establish structures where they will come up with issues neglected by the government with a view of presenting them to their leaders for further action. They will later converge for Limuru IV to take stock and name their presidential candidate for 2027.

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