ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo has jolted former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, accusing him of lacking a development agenda and instead pursuing what he termed as a politics of revenge against the Kenya Kwanza government.

Speaking on Saturday, January 17, 2026, during a packed public engagement forum at Kianwe Primary School in Ndia, Kirinyaga West, Kabogo, a close ally of President William Ruto, said the Mt Kenya region is already enjoying tangible gains under the Kenya Kwanza administration, gains he argued would be at risk if the region is misled by divisive politics.

“Mt Kenya is safer and better in the hands of President Ruto. Gachagua has no plan for this country. What he is pushing is not leadership, it is revenge politics,” Kabogo said.

Kabogo dismissed Gachagua’s “one-term” narrative as empty, reckless and dangerous, insisting that President Ruto has demonstrated clear vision and commitment to uplifting Mt Kenya and the country at large.

“We cannot chase darkness with darkness. Darkness is chased by light,” Kabogo declared.

Gachagua had accused the Head of State of scaring him so that he could retreat to his house to allow Ruto divide the mountain.

Speaking during an interview with K24 TV on Monday, January 12, 2026, Gachagua maintained that he will not buy into the fear.

He argued that he has sacrificed to unite the Mt Kenya people, noting that if he does not do so as a leader, the community will become extinct and become irrelevant in the national political discourse.

Gachagua roars

Gachagua further noted that if he backs down, Ruto will manage to divide Mt Kenya and use the opportunity to get reelected in 2027.

“In life, sacrifices must be made. If I don’t unite my people, they will be extinct. And they will be irrelevant in the national political discourse. If I buy fear the way Ruto wants me to do, because he wants me to buy fear and retreat into my house so that he can divide the mountain so that he can be reelected,” Gachagua said.

He went ahead to claim that President Ruto is aware that he has no chance in 2027 without the Mt Kenya vote, thus opting to divide them.

According to Gachagua, the Mt Kenya region will be in trouble should Ruto manage to earn himself a second term. He argued that the Head of State has declared war on the community and that he will finish it if he gets re-elected.

“He knows that without the mountain, he has no chance. If he is reelected, he will finish my community because he has declared war on the community. He is persecuting our community, he has sacked our sons and daughters, and he has destroyed our businesses. I have sacrificed on behalf of the community to stand up to him and make sure that the mountain is not divided, and the vote of the mountain will go to one basket to replace Ruto as the president,” Gachagua stated.

Ruto fires back

On his part,  President  Ruto dismissed attempts by Gachagua to sink his political fortunes in the Mt Kenya region, saying the push is futile and doomed to fail.

Ruto said he enjoys a solid political and personal bond with residents.

The bond, he said, cannot be shaken by what he termed as “petty politics, falsehood and noise”. “The friendship that we have built has a foundation. Some think they can bring petty politics and noise to destroy the foundation that we built. That is not possible,” Ruto said.

The visit marked the first time in months that the head of state had visited Nyeri County, amid rising political temperatures following sustained attacks by Gachagua.

Gachagua has vowed to rally Mt Kenya voters to deny Ruto a second term in 2027.

Ruto reminded congregants that Mt Kenya overwhelmingly supported him in the 2022 general election, insisting that the bond forged during that campaign remains intact.

He warned political actors attempting to drive a wedge between him and the region that their efforts would come to nothing.

“That is not possible. Let them look for another job to do. We are going to walk together,” the President said.