Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has turned his back on development and instead opened the floodgates of cash to woo the vote-rich Mount Kenya region.
In less than two months, Kindiki has splashed over Sh100 million in public donations across churches, boda boda groups, and women’s saccos, all in the name of economic empowerment.
But Kenyans are not buying it. As prices rise and public services stall, the DP’s flashy “empowerment” tour draws outrage.
With 2027 on the horizon, Kindiki is desperately muscling into a political zone once dominated by impeached former DP Rigathi Gachagua — and taxpayers are footing the bill.
Kindiki Millions Raise Eyebrows as Development Projects Languish
For a country where millions struggle to put food on the table, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki’s recent spending spree reads like a cruel joke. The Nation has reported that Kindiki has presided over fundraisers totaling more than Sh100 million in just two months, mostly focused on the Mount Kenya region. This is not empowerment — it’s electioneering in disguise.
The DP’s stops have included Naivasha, Kiambu Town, Lari, Gatundu North, Limuru, Kirinyaga Central, Mwea, Kipipiri, Ol Kalou, Imenti, Kigumo, and South Mugirango. At each location, Kindiki has generously dished out cash to local groups — all under the so-called “economic empowerment programmes.”
But what’s missing from these flashy roadshows is any sign of meaningful, long-term development. There are no water projects. No schools. No new healthcare centers. Just millions of shillings changing hands — and more questions than answers about where the money is coming from.
It gets worse. Kindiki is often flanked by Principal Secretaries, who also make their own hefty donations. Meanwhile, Cabinet-level development efforts stall, and Kenyans continue to suffer from joblessness, high taxes, and runaway inflation. What message does it send when leaders donate tens of millions but fail to build basic infrastructure?
Political Games Take Priority Over Real Needs
This sudden generosity isn’t about helping the people. It’s a clear political tactic aimed at undermining Rigathi Gachagua’s grip on the Mount Kenya bloc. After his impeachment, Gachagua began regrouping to reassert his influence and use the region as political leverage in the 2027 election cycle.
Kindiki knows this, and he’s moving quickly — not with policy or vision, but with cold, hard cash.
This political muscle-flexing is setting a dangerous precedent. If leaders can effectively buy loyalty through staged Harambees, then Kenya’s democracy is no longer about vision or performance — it’s about who has the deepest pockets.
It’s worth asking: Where is the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC)? Why are state officials freely throwing millions around without scrutiny? When citizens are tightening belts and the country is reeling from a ballooning public debt, this kind of reckless generosity is insulting — and likely unlawful.
Kenyans Deserve Better Than Kindiki’s Vote-Buying Tactics
The use of public office to push political ambition is not new. But Kindiki’s approach takes it to dangerous new heights. It shifts attention away from governance and channels it into a personality cult — one powered by money, not merit.
While the DP goes on a donation spree, farmers in Meru and Nyandarua wait for subsidized fertilizer. Schoolchildren in rural areas walk for miles because the government hasn’t prioritized school buses or classrooms. Clinics in Kipipiri remain understaffed and ill-equipped.
Yet millions flow freely into briefcases and brown envelopes at church gatherings and market meetings.
This is not leadership. It’s a diversion. And it’s turning public service into a stage for political theater.
Kenyans are watching. And they are angry. They see the hypocrisy: a government that pleads austerity on one hand, then bankrolls lavish weekend roadshows on the other.
They hear President William Ruto talk about the “Bottom-Up” economy but see his deputy pump millions into short-term photo ops instead of long-term solutions.
