Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has intensified his attacks on President William Ruto, claiming the Head of State will struggle to secure even 1,000 votes in any constituency across the Mt Kenya region in the 2027 General Election.

Speaking at his Wamunyoro home in Nyeri County on Saturday, July 4, 2026, while hosting a delegation of leaders from Githunguri Constituency, Gachagua argued that voters in the region have already resolved to reject Ruto at the ballot despite what he described as increased government spending in the area.

In remarks delivered partly in Kiswahili and English, Gachagua said Mt Kenya voters have a history of decisively voting out leaders they no longer support.

“Kura ya kufukuza mtu ni tamu. The mountain people love that vote. Ya kufukuza mtu aende nyumbani, wanafurahia sana,” Gachagua said.

He went on to warn President Ruto against assuming that increased development projects or campaign spending would translate into electoral support.

“Na wewe, William Ruto, I want to tell you, hujui hawa watu wa mlima. Wewe endelea kumwaga pesa yako hapa vile unamwaga Ol Kalou. Haujui hawa watu,” he stated.

Gachagua invoked Kenya’s political history, referring to former President Daniel arap Moi’s long-standing electoral struggles in parts of Central Kenya.

“Uliza Gideon Moi akwambie kile baba yake alikuwa anaona hapa. Hapa kwetu Mathira alikuwa anapata 800 votes pekee yake out of 60,000,” Gachagua said.

He concluded with one of his strongest political predictions yet, claiming that it will be an uphill task for Ruto to secure even a 1000 votes from any of the Mt Kenya constituencies.

“Hapa mlimani, there is no constituency ambayo Ruto atafikisha kura elfu moja,” he remarked.

Remarks come amid Ol Kalou political battle

Gachagua’s comments come as the political temperature rises ahead of the July 16 Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, which has evolved into a high-profile contest between allies of President Ruto and leaders aligned with the former Deputy President.

Only a day earlier, Gachagua claimed the President had poured Ksh1 billion into the constituency in a bid to influence the outcome of the mini poll, alleging that money was circulating so widely that businesses were struggling to provide customers with change.

The claims were quickly dismissed by former Senior Economic Advisor Moses Kuria, who argued that the figure represented government development projects rather than campaign spending.

Kuria insisted the value of ongoing and planned national government projects in Ol Kalou exceeded Ksh10 billion, listing road construction, affordable housing, electricity connections, water projects, a university, market upgrades and title deed issuance among the investments.

Wamunyoro becomes opposition strategy hub

Saturday’s meeting is the latest in a series of political consultations Gachagua has been holding at his Wamunyoro residence after announcing a temporary pause to nationwide opposition rallies.

The former Deputy President has transformed his Nyeri home into a consultation centre where he has hosted politicians, professionals, clergy, elders and opinion leaders as part of efforts to unite the opposition ahead of the 2027 General Election.

In recent days, Gachagua has received businessman and Safina Party leader Jimi Wanjigi, leaders from the Mijikenda community, and delegations from various counties, saying the consultations are aimed at building what he describes as the country’s “sixth administration.”

According to Gachagua, the consultations are now focusing on forging consensus within the opposition, including discussions on presenting a single presidential candidate to challenge President Ruto in 2027.

Battle for Mt Kenya

The Mt Kenya region is expected to remain one of the most fiercely contested political battlegrounds in the next General Election.

The region overwhelmingly backed the Kenya Kwanza Alliance in the 2022 polls, helping propel President Ruto to victory. However, relations between Ruto and Gachagua deteriorated following the latter’s impeachment as Deputy President in 2024.

Since then, Gachagua has launched the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) and has embarked on an aggressive campaign to consolidate support in Mt Kenya while working with other opposition leaders to mount a challenge against Ruto’s re-election bid.

President Ruto, on the other hand, has continued to defend his administration’s development record in the region, with government officials pointing to ongoing infrastructure, housing, electricity, water and agricultural projects as evidence that the Kenya Kwanza administration remains committed to fulfilling its promises to Mt Kenya voters.