AfriPulse
Former Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria criticized former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leadership over allegations that link him to organized violence in the Mount Kenya region.
Kuria spoke at a press conference in Karen, Nairobi, on Wednesday. He said DCP leaders kept dragging his name into claims that he orchestrated violence in the region, which he described as a dangerous pattern.
“Every time Honourable Rigathi Gachagua is addressing a rally, it is about Mount Kenya region. I don’t want to be dragged into that parochial, narrow, tribal prism of looking at me from the lens of my tribe or where I come from,” Kuria said.
The former Cabinet minister said the allegations started on Tuesday morning. He said Mukurweini MP John Kaguchia, during an interview on Inooro FM, hinted at Kuria’s role in organizing violence.
Kuria said that later the same day, DCP Secretary-General Senator John Methu made further allegations during a separate press conference. Methu, Kuria said, accused Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo, and Kuria himself of stoking violence in the region.
“How can I, Moses Kuria, a son of the Mount Kenya region, organize violence against my own people? How? How unfair would that be?” Kuria asked.
Kuria said the allegations aimed to undermine his reputation among his own people, and he added that earlier attempts to label him a traitor did not take hold.
“The latest bogeyman is violence. And I’m speaking on violence because I’ve been here. I was there in the post-election violence. I was there handling the IDPs. Some people, like Rigathi Gachagua, have zero experience in this country. A man who joined provincial administration as a DO and retired as a DO; zero promotion. Such a colorless career,” Kuria said.
He dismissed Gachagua as a leader who “cannot even vie for the captain of Kirinyaga Boys,” pointing to his impeachment. Kuria also asked why Gachagua keeps turning the Mount Kenya region into a stage for political violence.
“If Kalonzo wants to be president, let him start in Tseikuru or Mwingi. If Fred Matiang’i wants demonstrations, let him burn Kisii. Why does my region always have to pay the price?” Kuria asked.
Kuria accused the DCP of planning something “very sinister” linked to the Gen Z movement, the court case surrounding Gachagua’s impeachment, and the upcoming Saba Saba and Vasari events.
He said he reported the matter to security agencies and received assurances that security would stay alert and would deal ruthlessly with anyone who threatens lives and property.
Kuria also noted that the DCP had publicly said its supporters would not take part in violence. He argued that the party’s position effectively gives the government a “license” to use full force against anyone who causes trouble.
“If anybody tries to cause loss of lives or damage to property, it is because by now we know they are not DCP people. They have said they are not their people. So if we act swiftly and with full force of the law on anybody causing disruptions, they should not cry,” he said.
Kuria also took issue with sections of the media as well, urging journalists to hold leaders accountable for the claims they make, especially as the country moves closer to the election season.
“The bar of proof has fallen. You no longer hold leaders to prove what they say. If you make a false claim about violence, it is as bad as somebody who perpetrates violence. There is no difference,” he said.
Kuria at the same time asked that serving public officers stay out of the political fight.
“Please kindly spare our public officers. Come for me. It’s okay. Me, I’m up to it. I have whatever it takes. Bring it on. But please spare our public servants,” he said.
He also claimed that some opposition leaders who now ally with Gachagua are in talks to join the government, and he warned the Mount Kenya region to remain vigilant.
“Why would I waste my fare to go to Kalonzo, then back to government? To go to Matiang’i, and then back to government? Because these people are talking to us and they want to join government,” he said.
Kuria confirmed that he reported the allegations to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for investigation.
Source: NairobiWire.com | Read the Full Story…
