Former Embakasi East MP aspirant Francis Mureithi has called on political leaders to abandon divisive politics and embrace dialogue and unity ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Mureithi said Kenyans were tired of political rhetoric that divides communities instead of bringing people together.
“Political leaders must shun divisive politics and embrace unity and dialogue. Our people are tired of politics that divide communities instead of bringing them together,” he said.
He also urged President William Ruto to engage members of the Kikuyu community to understand the reasons behind what he described as declining support for his administration among the community.
Mureithi called on Ruto to hold discussions with Kikuyu men from the four mountain regions, including Kirinyaga, Nyandarua and Ngong, saying such engagements would give the President an opportunity to hear their concerns directly.
“President William Ruto should sit down with Kikuyu men from all the four mountain regions and listen to them. They will tell him the truth and the factual reasons why his support among the community has declined,” he said.
Mureithi further urged the President to engage Kikuyu elders, commonly known as Athamaki, as well as younger members of the community.
He cited the traditional concept of Ituika, which he said represents generational change and should inform how political leaders engage with younger voters.
“The President should also sit down with our Athamaki in Kikuyu. There is Ituika, a generational change, and leaders must understand what the younger generation is saying and why their political thinking is changing,” he said.
On the economy, Mureithi called on the government to clear all pending bills owed to suppliers and contractors.
He said settling the debts would release money into the economy, support businesses and benefit ordinary Kenyans.
“The government should pay all pending bills. When suppliers and contractors are paid, money will circulate in the economy, businesses will grow and ordinary Kenyans will benefit,” he said.
Mureithi also raised concern over the sale of illicit alcoholic drinks, urging county governments to tighten monitoring of licences issued to alcohol traders.
He said authorities should prevent the sale of products that pose a danger to communities.
“County governments must closely monitor the licences of traders selling alcoholic drinks. We cannot allow people to sell killer brews that are destroying our communities,” he said.
He also called on the media to expose traders selling illicit brews while urging the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) to enforce standards on products available in the market.
“I urge the media to expose those selling killer brews and protect our communities by telling Kenyans the truth. KEBS must also do its job and ensure that products being sold to the public meet the required standards,” Mureithi said.
On the Nairobi gubernatorial race, Mureithi called for the Mt Kenya community to develop a clear process for identifying a single candidate.
He argued that multiple candidates from the region could split the community’s vote and weaken its chances of influencing the outcome of the race.
“For the Nairobi gubernatorial seat, we need a clear matrix that will enable the Mt Kenya community to settle on one individual. If we are to clinch the seat, we cannot have several candidates dividing our votes. We need to agree on one candidate who can carry the aspirations of the region,” he said.
