- The governor of Trans Nzoia, George Natembeya, has refused to support the presidential bid of former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua in the 2027 election
- Natembeya argued that Kenya should introduce a rotating presidency system between regions to reduce regional political tension
- The governor said that the Mt Kenya region has already produced presidents for about three decades, warning against continuing to hold the presidency with one region
Governor George Natembeya of Trans-Nzoia County has said he will not support the presidential bid of the former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua in the 2027 general election.
Source: Twitter
Natembeya said Kenya should start a system of rotating presidency between different regions to reduce political tension related to the highest seat of leadership in the country.
The statement was made during an interview on JKLive on Wednesday, March 11, where the governor gave his assessment about the possibility of Gachagua running for the presidency if the courts allow him to participate in the Kenya General Election 2027.
Natembeya made it clear that he would not support Gachagua even if he was approved to run for the seat.
Why does Natembeya oppose Gachagua’s presidential bid?
The governor explained that Kenya should embrace the rotating presidency system to ensure broad national representation and reduce regional competition regarding the leadership of the country.
He said that the Mount Kenya region has already produced presidents for almost 30 years since Kenya gained independence.
“No, no… because I believe the presidency should be rotated. The Mount Kenya community has had it for many years, almost 30 years, one community,” said Natembeya.
In his opinion, the continuation of one region holding the presidency can lead to political tension and unrealistic expectations among the community.
He said many Kenyans mistakenly believe that if the president comes from a certain community, then the entire community will benefit economically and politically.
However, Natembeya explained that the reality shows that the lives of ordinary citizens remain almost the same regardless of where the president comes from.
He gave an example saying that the lives of people in areas like Murang’a County and Kabuchai Constituency are not much different despite some areas having produced the nation’s top leaders.
According to him, the belief that the whole society benefits from the presidency creates an unhealthy political competition.
“People believe that if you get the presidency, the whole community gets some privilege. That’s not true. And if we allow the same community to continue to have a president, it creates an unhealthy competition where people even kill each other during the election while there is no real benefit,” he explained..
History of Natembeya and Gachagua
Natembeya admitted that he and Gachagua have a professional history together since they were working in the regional administration system in Kenya.
He said Gachagua used to work in the system before entering private business.
Because of that shared history, the two leaders have been having open conversations about governance issues and the challenges facing the people.
However, Natembeya said they may differ on some issues, especially regarding the direction of the country’s leadership.
He also touched on Gachagua’s political journey, saying that the former deputy president may have faced political consequences after speaking about issues in the Mt Kenya region while still a national leader.
Source: UGC
Is Gachagua the 2027 opposition candidate?
Earlier reports indicated that some leaders who support Gachagua have recommended him to be the opposition’s presidential candidate in 2027.
In the meeting, the deputy leader of the Democracy for the Citizens Party Cleophas Malala said Gachagua is the person with the greatest ability to challenge the current president William Ruto in the next election.
Malala added that Gachagua contributed greatly to the political victory in the Kenya General Election 2022.
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