Kirimi Muthamia: The DCP Man Giving Meru Youth a Seat at the Political Table
There is a new wave cutting across the Meru and national political scene.
It is called the Democracy for the Citizens Party, popularly known as DCP, under the leadership of former Deputy President, Mweshimiwa Rigathi Gachagua.
DCP has gained popularity nationwide and Meru has not been left behind. Efforts being made by the regional leadership, and in particular in Meru under the stewardship of Meru County DCP Secretary General Mr. Kirimi Muthamia, are bearing fruit.
As of today, DCP enjoys what Muthamia describes as 70% support in Meru, showing, according to him, that the people of Meru have increasingly taken DCP as their party of choice.
As they say in politics, wanaskiza ground.
And we all know Kenyan politicians love the ground. Sometimes the ground speaks. Sometimes it whispers. Sometimes politicians hear what they want to hear. But in this case, DCP believes the Meru ground is speaking loudly.
Today, however, I want to talk about Mr. Kirimi Muthamia, the man who has been playing a central role in pushing the DCP agenda in Meru and the larger Mount Kenya East region.
According to Muthamia, who spoke exclusively to Meru Daily Blog, DCP is focusing on empowering the youth, women and persons with disabilities (PWD) and giving them an opportunity to lead from the front and become part and parcel of the political movement.
Not the usual Kenyan youth arrangement where vijana are remembered when chairs need carrying, posters need hanging and rallies need people to shout until their voices disappear.
This time, according to Muthamia, the youth should also be at the table.
And not the small plastic table outside.
The main table.
Mr. Muthamia himself is eyeing the Meru Governor's position.
According to him, his candidature should not be seen merely as a political competition, but as an offer for a fresh start for Meru youth who have for years been sidelined by political bigwigs because they lack capital and resources.
That, he says, is about to change.
According to the DCP Meru Secretary General, the party is embracing democracy and he is ready to fight it out for the nomination ticket to run for the Meru County seat with former Cabinet Secretary Mr. Mithika Linturi.
But before watu wa Facebook start sharpening keyboards and announcing a civil war inside DCP, Muthamia was quick to point out that this is not a political rivalry or internal wrangle.
According to him, it is simply a clash of ideas and democracy at work.
In other words, nobody should start writing political obituaries yet.
The gentlemen can compete.
The party can choose.
Life continues.
When I asked him why he was stepping up to the challenge, Muthamia said the party is big enough to accommodate everyone.
He says he wants to make history as a man who stood up for the youth against exploitation by seasoned politicians.
In his own words, he wants to give dignity to the youth so that young people can also feel respected within DCP.
And having personally met the man, I can say this: he speaks with conviction.
The man does not appear to be bluffing.
When I met him, he was holding a meeting with 60 DCP aspirants seeking different elective positions in Meru County under the DCP banner.
According to Muthamia, the party currently has 120 aspirants and 75 of them support his bid to unseat the current man at the helm of Meru County.
Now, 75 aspirants is not exactly a small chama ya merry-go-round.
That is a political statement.
I also witnessed his commitment personally.
Despite being in mourning following the death of his mother, Muthamia still found time to engage the aspirants.
For me, that was proof that the man is willing to walk his talk.
Politics is full of people who talk while walking backwards.
At least Muthamia showed up.
And that matters.
And that is not all.
The DCP Meru SG says the party currently has 8,000 registered members in Meru.
His target is to push those numbers to 20,000.
He has vowed to personally mobilize 10,000 more members to register with the party.
That is not a small task.
Ten thousand people cannot be mobilized by posting "Good morning team" in a WhatsApp group and disappearing until next week.
It will require serious work.
But Muthamia says he is ready to take the challenge head-on.
That is the kind of political mobilization he wants to be known for.
Mr. Muthamia has urged Meru youth to register in large numbers so they can enjoy the benefits associated with being members of a political party.
The staunch, strict and straightforward leader has also promised equal consideration to young people who want to vie under DCP.
He says they should expect fair nominations.
According to him, this would mark a departure from the past, where seasoned politicians allegedly sold nomination slots to the highest bidders.
Muthamia argues that such practices have been among the reasons many young people and women view politics as a playground for people with money.
In Kenya, sometimes you can have the vision, the education, the support and even the energy.
Then nomination day arrives and your wallet is asked to give a speech.
Muthamia says DCP should be different.
He has also called on other leaders in the party to respect fellow aspirants.
Muthamia cited examples of leaders who allegedly refer to other aspirants as "Mickey Mouses", something he strongly condemned.
His message is simple: every aspirant deserves respect.
After all, politics has taught us many things.
One of them is that today's "Mickey Mouse" can become tomorrow's mkubwa.
Do not laugh too loudly.
Politics keeps receipts.
Mr. Muthamia has spoken.
What is now left is for the Meru youth to respond to the call and register in large numbers if they believe in the political change DCP says it is bringing across the nation.
His message is that the Meru youth also deserve a seat at the table.
Not a seat outside the tent.
Not a seat next to the loudspeaker.
A real seat where political decisions are made.
Mr. Muthamia, the youth of Meru have heard you.
Your challenge now is to prove that the vision you speak about can translate into real opportunities for young people.
Because Meru has heard enough political rhetoric over the years.
What people want to see now is action.
And if the kind of leadership Muthamia is promising becomes reality, then the political old guard may soon discover that the youth they once expected to clap from the sidelines have finally entered the field.
And this time, wamekuja na boots.
Felix Kinyua is a Meru-based freelance journalist and founder of Meru Daily Blog. He writes about politics, governance and community affairs, mixing serious reporting with humour and satire because, in Kenyan politics, sometimes the news writes the jokes by itself.
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