NAIROBI, Kenya – Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has intensified his outreach in the vote-rich Mt Kenya region, hosting popular Kikuyu musicians in Nairobi even as questions swirl around his multi-million-shilling ‘empowerment tours’.
On Friday May 23, Kindiki hosted a breakfast meeting at his Karen residence with a dozen prominent Mt Kenya musicians, including Ben Githae, the gospel crooner synonymous with Jubilee’s 2017 “Tano Tena” anthem
Also in attendance were chart-toppers Jose Gatutura, Samidoh, Kamande wa Kioi, Gathee wa Njeri, and over a dozen other musicians and producers.
Kindiki described the music industry as a “multibillion-shilling business,” saying the government was keen to support artists through policy reforms and stronger protection of intellectual property rights.
KAREN, NAIROBI CITY COUNTY, KENYA FRIDAY, MAY 23, 2025The Creative industry is a multibillion shilling business and constant engagement with performing artists and all those in that space is imperative to find ways of supporting them through policy and protection of
But behind the morning photo-ops and pledges lies a larger political beat.
Kindiki’s aggressive charm offensive across Central Kenya has raised eyebrows, with critics linking his recent moves to early political jockeying ahead of 2027.
In the last two months alone, the DP and his team have reportedly disbursed over KSh 100 million in donations to churches, women’s groups, and boda boda associations—mostly concentrated in Mt Kenya counties.
His stops have included Naivasha, Kiambu Town, Lari, Limuru, Gatundu North, Kirinyaga Central, Mwea, Kipipiri, Ol Kalou, Imenti, Kigumo, and South Mugirango in Kisii—offering what some observers see as a calculated bid to consolidate regional support.
The scale of donations has rekindled debates about political excesses and fiscal priorities, especially in the aftermath of last year’s youth-led protests against cost-of-living pressures and elite extravagance.
Also present were MPs Alice Ng’ang’a (Thika Town), John Njuguna Wanjiku (Kiambaa), Mburu Kahangara (Lari), Elijah Njoroge (Gatundu North), and Githua Wamacukuru (Kabete), all from the Mt Kenya region.
