Isaac Mwaura: Ruto enjoys silent support in Mt Kenya
By Faith Lagat, November 29, 2025Government Spokesman Isaac Mwaura has declared that President William Ruto enjoys widespread but understated support in the Mt Kenya region, predicting a surprising electoral performance in 2027.
In a series of posts on X dated November 29, 2025, Mwaura insisted that many in the mountain region quietly back the president. “Some leaders are in denial that President Ruto has many silent admirers and supporters across the Mt Kenya region. He has managed to turn around the economy that was on its knees when he took over.”
“If Azimio could get the votes that they got in the region in 2022, many people will be shocked at the numbers the President will get in 2027,” he wrote.
He added, “President Ruto’s supporters in the mountain region are silent, many and scattered across villages, waiting to show up at the ballot at the right time. Time will tell.”
By-election results boost Ruto’s standing
Mwaura’s remarks come just two days after the November 27, 2025, by-elections, in which Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) won five of seven parliamentary seats, including a crucial upset in Mbeere North constituency, Embu County.
UDA candidate Leonard Muthende narrowly defeated the Democratic Party of Kenya’s Newton Kariuki by 494 votes, flipping a seat in the heart of Mt Kenya and lending credence to Mwaura’s claim of hidden support.
The victory in Mbeere North has been cited by government allies as evidence that the president’s economic agenda is quietly resonating despite public criticism over the cost of living, high taxation, and perceived marginalisation of the region’s political class.
Kuria warns of political resentment
However, not everyone shares Mwaura’s optimism. Former Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria, now leader of the Chama Cha Kazi (CCK) party, used the same by-election period to remind Mt Kenya politicians of his earlier warnings against fully aligning with UDA.
On November 22, 2025, Kuria said, “I warned these people against joining Ruto’s party. I told them you will remember my decision. Now they are saying that a mistake is only bad when repeated.” He claimed vindication after several prominent Mt Kenya leaders who joined UDA were either sidelined or fell out with State House.
Kuria, who refused to disband his party in 2022 despite pressure from Ruto, added, “Had I been in UDA, I would be the governor now. The people now crying Kasongo are the ones who mobilised people against me when I was warning them about aligning with Ruto’s party.”
Despite Kuria’s public criticism, the UDA win in Mbeere North, delivered with active campaigning from Kuria himself, revealed the complex political calculus in the region.