Murang'a Senator Joe Nyutu has explained the criteria that will guide the vetting of politicians seeking to defect to the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP).
DCP leader and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua formed a seven-member vetting team chaired by Nyandarua Senator John Methu.
Methu will work alongside Nyutu, Kiambu Senator Karungo Wa Thang’wa, Kirinyaga Woman Representative Njeri Maina, Naivasha MP Jane Kihara, Kipipiri MP Wanjiku Muhia and Embakasi Central MP Mejja Donk.
In an interview on Monday, August 17, Nyutu said politicians seeking to join DCP will be required to openly explain their decision to leave their current political parties and demonstrate that their move is genuine.
"The thing that we will be advising anyone who appears before us is that they must make their intentions public. One of the requirements is that you must go public about your intention to decamp; tell people why you want to decamp, so that we also see how the people will receive it," he said.
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Nyutu said the vetting process will also seek to establish whether politicians joining DCP are genuinely committed to the party's cause or are simply attempting to protect their political interests as their current political side loses ground.
"We also want to know, are you not joining us because you have realized that the ship on the other side is sinking, and you want to save your skin, at least politically? Because if that is the reason, then you're not a genuine member of our outfit," he added.
Nyutu also explained why the vetting process is particularly focused on politicians seeking to defect within the Mount Kenya region.
He alleged that some MPs from the region have been used to facilitate violence during political and church gatherings.
"Members of Parliament from Mount Kenya are the ones that President Ruto has been using to perpetrate violence, especially in churches and political gatherings. This has not happened any time that we have gone outside Mount Kenya," he explained.
Nyutu further argued that local politicians are more likely to be involved in organizing disruptions in their respective areas.
"That's why we are saying these are the people we call traitors. There is no member, for example, from Rift Valley who can organize violence in Othaya, Nyeri County. It has to be a local person; that's why they are the only ones we need to subject to this," he further said.
Elsewhere, former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has alleged that the state is accessing social media accounts of opposition leaders.
Addressing the media, Matiang’i claimed the state has acquired technology resources from an Asian country to gain access to the social media accounts.
"The government has now decided, in addition to terrorizing opposition leaders; they have begun a new wave of digital terrorism against the opposition.
"They have required resources from groups in an Asian country, and they are accessing social media accounts of opposition leaders," he alleged.
Matiang'i also claimed that opposition leaders are being trailed by vehicles equipped with signal jammers during rallies.
"These days we get trailed by vehicles I believe belong to the state with jammers. We stop to address rallies, but our WIFI is interfered with; you cannot communicate," he stated.
Matiang’i claimed that Rigathi Gachagua’s team also experienced similar challenges over the weekend.
"My staffers checked with the team Rigathi Gachagua was travelling with over the weekend. They have begun experiencing the same challenges. I believe this is the work of the state, which has the capacity to do that," he alleged.
Further, Matiang’i claimed that the state has invested heavily in propaganda and fake news targeting opposition leaders.
"Last week you saw a letter purportedly authored by Kanze Dena claiming that the President had said he was not going to meet with Gachagua. That is the work of the state," he further said.
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