A political firestorm is brewing in Embu County after Governor Cecily Mbarire and Manyatta MP John Gitonga Mukunji locked horns in a dramatic exchange of blame over chaos that rocked Embu town during Wednesday’s Gen Z demonstrations.
The protests, which left scores of businesses vandalized and looted including high-profile outlets like Safaricom, NSSF, KRA, and Mathai Supermarket have now turned into a political battlefield.
While Mukunji has publicly distanced himself from the violent demos, claiming he was nowhere near the planning or execution, he threw a veiled jab at the county leadership, insinuating that Governor Mbarire was well aware of the events unfolding.
But Mbarire did not mince her words in her response. She launched a blistering counterattack, accusing Mukunji of playing "spanner boy" for former Deputy President and DCP Party leader Rigathi Gachagua, claiming the MP was part of the inner circle that orchestrated the unrest in Embu.
In a fiery presser, Mbarire who also serves as UDA party chairperson said Mukunji was not just aware, he was deeply involved. Mbarire, claims the whole protest was scripted, funded, and executed to destabilize her administration.
Governor Mbarire, claims that her life has never been the same since she refused to join Rigathi Gachagua’s camp. According to Mbarire, Gachagua has made her life a nightmare, threatening and insulting her, using the Manyatta MP to sabotage her work, and even sending unknown people to trail her.
She reveals that she sometimes avoids sleeping at her own home out of fear that goons, allegedly sent by Gachagua through Mukunji, might attack her. At times, she’s forced to wear a hijab to conceal her identity, spending nights in hotels or at the homes of close friends and allies.
But now, she says enough is enough. Mbarire has vowed not to stay silent any longer. She claims her troubles began the moment she rejected calls to join DCP, and accuses Gachagua of using intimidation tactics to pressure not only her but other Mt. Kenya leaders into submission.
As a mother, she says it’s painful that she can no longer enjoy evenings with her children, all because of political differences.
Without mincing words, Mbarire declared she had no fear in linking Gachagua to both the current wave of violence and last year’s unrest over the controversial Finance Bill, saying his actions were aimed at destabilising the county and country.
She criticised Gachagua’s planned two-day political visit to Embu, terming it a cruel insult to locals whose livelihoods were destroyed by protests he incited, yet he now seeks their political backing.
“Money was given out to goons. I want to tell one Rigathi Gachagua that you will not intimidate me; you cannot come here and turn Embu to a battlefield. You come here and use local leaders; you are using them as your spanner boy, this will not be tolerated at all,” she said.
The UDA chairperson questioned Gachagua’s concern for Embu residents, accusing him of causing suffering by sponsoring destruction that left hundreds jobless. She said her refusal to toe his political line had made her a target of his hostility.
She vowed to remain firm and not yield to intimidation, accusing Gachagua of trying to claw back political power through chaos and illegitimate tactics. She pledged to thwart any repeat of such destruction, adding that residents might need to step in to safeguard their properties should unrest flare up again.
“We will not accept any attempt to destroy businesses and property in Embu town again,” declared Governor Mbarire.
