Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua says he wishes he had more children and has advised the people of Mount Kenya to have more children to boost economic development in Central Kenya.
Despite growing up in a large family of nine children, the deputy president says he has only two children, a decision he regrets and blames on the impact of Western world mentality.
Gachagua advised women to have as many children as possible in an interview on Friday on Kikuyu vernacular station Inooro FM, alluding to the scriptural parallel of "multiply, and fill the Earth."
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"I was deceived by the white man to only get two children. It's the stupidity of that era because we were still naive and believed everything the white man said... We were nine in our family and despite our parents being uneducated,they took us to school," said Gachagua.
"Let people have 5, 6, 7, 8 (children)... God will help you and you will be able to raise them," added the deputy president.
Gachagua said that his struggle against drunkenness, particularly in the Mount Kenya region, is all about saving the Central Kenyan people.
"All the illicit alcohol was brought to central Kenya, and it was a ploy to put an end to our extensive population. It's either the previous government was not thinking about that issue, or they could see any problem in alcohol," said the DP.
"Our children were spending nights in dungeons. Young married men would get drunk and instead of sleeping on the bed, they would sleep under bed. Where were we to get children? That's why I'm very determined to end this business of illicit brews," he affirmed.
Gachagua also bemoaned Mt Kenya youngsters who travel to seek a living in the city but refuse to return home during the census, resulting in the region not receiving its total share of national resources.
"Those who came to the city to find a living become Nairobians... The population number is what brings resources... Let us go back home when the Census is happening," he said.
