By Anderson Ojwang
The spirits and the ghosts of Tharaka-Nithi have descended once again in the country. This time, the angels are smiling and dancing with the son from the country’s region with the tallest tree Mutunguruni.
Tharaka, meaning star, meteor, a pupil of the eye is today at the eye of the country with the stars shining brighter on their son while on the Western side of Mt Kenya, the ghosts are tormenting, creating panic, heartbreaks, and disillusion.
Tharaka Nithi County with an area of 2608km2 According to the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census, the population of Tharaka Nithi County was 393,177 people with a population density of 153 people per Km2 and an annual growth rate of 3.0%.
In 2006, the population of Tharaka Nithi was 119,873 and it jumped by 8.53 to 119,875 persons in 2009.
It is on the Eastern side of Mt Kenya, and the county is composed of four administrative sub-counties namely Tharaka North, Tharaka South, Meru South, and Maara.
Today, Tharaka Nithi is in the eye of the storm after Internal Security Cabinet Secretary, Prof Kithuri Kindiki was nominated by President William Ruto for the post of designated deputy President.
Pomp and fanfare marked the announcement with the angels of Tharaka Nithi delivering the good news that the second most powerful flag was beckoning.
But in Mathira, Mt Kenya West, the ghosts of Tharaka Nithi were causing havoc with the impeached deputy President Rigathi Gachagua sliding into political oblivion.
Allies of Rigathi, left heartbroken and confused broke into tears while others were left berating the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) for conspiring with the President to bring down the self-proclaimed truthful man.
The gods of Tharaka Nithi seem to have conspired to relegate the former Mathira MP into political oblivion with the impeachment.
But the battle of the angels and the ghosts of Tharaka Nithi usually results in a stalemate in the country and often threatens the nation’s socio-economic and political fabric.
In the 2007, general elections, Tharaka Nithi became the decider of the presidential results turning around the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) presidential candidate Raila Odinga’s lead to make the incumbent Mwai Kibaki remain on the steering wheel.
Rarieda MP Otiende Amolo during a rally in Chuka in 2022 ahead of the elections elected to revisit the infamous Tharaka Nithi vote basket.
“I was the lawyer for ODM at the Kenyatta Conference Centre (KICC) the tallying center, the results from other constituencies had been brought. But one, Tharaka Nithi remained. When it came, we collapsed and it gave Kibaki the victory,” he said.
With the results from Tharaka Nithi, Kibaki was declared the winner with ODM disputing the presidential result thus resulting in a stalemate and post-election violence.
The angels of the Tharaka Nithi smiled at President Kibaki as he remained the president of the coalition government with Raila agreeing to settle for the prime minister seat.
The ghosts of Tharaka Nithi have subsequently confined Raila to the opposition despite coming close to winning in the three last presidential elections losing to immediate former president Uhuru Kenyatta and the incumbent, President Ruto.
Currently, Kenyans and the rest of the world could be watching a constitutional stalemate with the impeachment of deputy president Rigathi by the National Assembly, the Senate and the subsequent nomination of the designate deputy President Prof Kindiki.
Lawyers have differed on legal opinion on the conservatory orders given by two courts with others arguing that the swearing can proceed while others arguing against it.
Homa Bay Town MP Peter Opondo Kaluma posted on his X formerly Twitter By Peter Otieno Kaluma, MP Homa Bay argued that a new Deputy President should be sworn into office immediately saying the country was in a very extraordinary situation, requiring judges to be circumspect in handling some matters
“Those, including our good judges, who think this is an ordinary matter should imagine what would happen to Kenya were anything to happen to the President causing him to be absent, now.
Under the Constitution, the Speaker, of the National Assembly would take over for 60 days within which elections must be held. IEBC is not constituted and the Commissioners are appointed by the President who would not be there. After the 60 days, Kenya would be leaderless, with no constitutional recourse … nation in crisis!’ he argued
But Lawyer Nelson Havi differed saying “The court order must be obeyed. It is not a suggestion. That is what every truthful advocate including those of us who support President Ruto must tell him and the people of Kenya. Do not mislead anyone,”.
But Kisumu senator and a senior counsel Mr. Tom Ojiemda said the court order was inconsequential as it had been overtaken by events.
Former cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria had claimed that the swearing-in would take place on Saturday at Uhuru Gardens.
“We cannot afford a constitutional crisis. We cannot be another Sudan with two presidents. For the sake of our nation and families, we will swear in Kithuri Kindiki as the president in waiting. You can deposit the ruling on the pigeonholes.,” he wrote on his Twitter page.
Lawyer Chris Kanjama also said “ What we have is a conservatory order, which is the most powerful constitutional order. When you look at the exact wording of the court orders that have been issued, both in Nairobi and Kerugoya, they are conservatory orders stopping the implementation of the impeachment resolution of the senate,”.
Will Rigathi survive the ghosts of Tharaka Nithi to re-invent his political wheels and will the Mountain remain united as 2027 beckons?
