Narok Senator Ledama Olekina, a close ally of Orange Democratic Movement Leader (ODM) leader Raila Odinga, has advised Deputy President (DP) Rigathi Gachagua over the revenue-sharing politics in the Mt Kenya region.
In a statement, Ledama asked Gachagua to take a break and rethink his positions in the ‘one man, one vote, one shilling’ debate.
“Stop while you can! The one man, one shilling debate will expose you seriously,” Ledama warned.
The Senator told Gachagua to slow down and consider the interests of the Mt Kenya people, which are currently at stake.
“Let’s have coffee, Gachagua, otherwise Mt Kenya will be exposed to a perpetual twilight of failure, no jobs, no population growth,” he added.
Gachagua has met a lot of opposition from a section of the Kenya Kwanza leaders over his support for the county revenue-sharing plan that had been proposed during the reign of former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Gachagua Backs ‘One Man One Vote One Shilling’
Speaking on May 12, Gachagua advocated for fairness in distributing revenue to counties, particularly those with larger populations.
“In matters of revenue sharing, I, Rigathi Gachagua, Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya, believe in and advocate for one man, one vote, one shilling. We demand fairness in revenue allocation, not because we come from a densely populated region, but because it’s the right thing to do,” Gachagua affirmed.
The DP stated that government resources should be distributed based on the number of people and not the size of the region. He emphasized the significance of the large population and tax contributions from residents of the Mt Kenya region.
“The whole issue of resources is about people. The more you are, the more taxes you pay. It goes without saying, the more taxes you pay, the more you should get when it comes to revenue sharing. We will push for that, and we have no apologies to make,” he said.
Also Read: Waiguru Warns Against Tribal Politics Day After Gachagua’s Tour in Mt Kenya
Mt Kenya Deserves More
Speaking on June 1, Gachagua maintained that Mt Kenya residents deserve the revenue-sharing deal, stating that any politician against the plan was not advocating for the rights of the region.
He explained that politicians from the region should not support a different revenue-sharing formula.
“Listen to the politicians as they speak. Those who are fighting for our people to get what they deserve are the heroes of our community. Those who are not should be marked so that everyone knows who they are,” stated Gachagua.
Among the Mt Kenya leaders opposed to the revenue-sharing formula are Trade CS Moses Kuria, Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, and National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah.
Also Read: Ruto to Fly Out of the Country; Gives Details of his Trip
Ruto’s Ally Fighting Gachagua
The DP has also accused a section of President William Ruto’s allies from Rift Valley of undermining him and meddling in Mt Kenya politics.
Gachagua accused the leaders of taking advantage of their closeness to the president to interfere with Mt Kenya politics.
“The problem is a few leaders from this region (Rift Valley) who have proximity to the president. These leaders are the ones disrupting politics in our region, misleading people to start planning for 2032 prematurely.”
However, in response, Ruto’s allies from the Rift Valley region slammed Gachagua over his comments on early succession politics.
The legislators led by Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, vowed to continue touring the country to oversee development projects and unite the nation, contrary to the DP’s wishes.
Nevertheless, there are claims of a possible fallout between President Ruto and his deputy in their second year in office as both of them seem to be reading from different books especially on the matter of revenue-sharing.
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