Uhuru reaches out to Karua, Kenneth

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Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Uhuru Kenyatta. Photo/ FILE 

By OLIVER MUSEMBI, omusembi@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Saturday, July 30  2011 at  19:30

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Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta has asked his political rivals in Central Kenya to come together and forge a united front.

Narc-Kenya’s Martha Karua has declared her intention to vie for the presidency next year as has Planning assistant minister Peter Kenneth.

Mr Kenyatta, who is the Gatundu South MP as well as the minister for Finance, was primarily addressing these two as he seeks to consolidate the region’s support behind him before he formally declares his bid for the presidency.

Addressing a public rally at Mbari ya Ruga Primary School in Mr Kenneth’s Gatanga constituency, Mr Kenyatta said political rivalry and greed for leadership were to blame for the problems facing the region, like high consumption of illicit brews and high levels of unemployment.

“We cannot adequately address the problem facing our people if we keep on fighting one another,” said Mr Kenyatta, who was accompanied by Juja MP William Kabogo and Embakasi MP Ferdinand Waititu.

Political competition

“Unity does not mean we cannot have political competition.

We need to borrow a leaf from other regions like Nyanza and the Rift Valley where leaders speak with one voice,” Mr Kenyatta said.

The DPM also refuted claims that he was going to officially declare his candidature for the presidency during the Gatanga meeting and announce the party ticket on which he will contest.

“Some people say I was coming here to play politics but I want them to know that we shall do that at the opportune moment. I am here for development only,” he said.

And when he took to the stage to address the crowd, Mr Waititu called on the Kikuyu community to rally behind Mr Kenyatta, whom he described as a frontrunner in the race to succeed President Kibaki.

On his part, Mr Kabogo said he was not afraid of being thrown out of Narc-Kenya for supporting Mr Kenyatta, adding that the party does not belong to an individual.