Manyora explains factor that could weaken Gachagua’s Mt Kenya influence
By Mabonga Makhanu, September 1, 2025Seasoned political analyst Herman Manyora has maintained that former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s influence in the Mt Kenya region remains intact and can only be challenged under very specific circumstances.
Speaking during an interview on his channel on Monday, September 1, 2025, Manyora noted that Gachagua’s grip on the region continues to hold firm.
According to him, the only scenario that could significantly weaken Gachagua’s dominance is if former President Uhuru Kenyatta decides to support a different candidate than the one Gachagua supports.
Such a move, he argued, would create divisions in the Mt Kenya political landscape.
“Gachagua’s grip on the mountain is still intact, and the only time Gachagua’s grip on the mountain will have some sort of challenge is if Uhuru decides to drive in the opposite direction; for example, if Gachagua decides to run or if he decides to support Kalonzo and Uhuru decides to support Matiangi, that will cause division in the mountain,” Manyora stated.
Manyora further assessed recent political strategies, suggesting that attempts to elevate Deputy President Kithure Kindiki as a counterweight to Gachagua have not achieved the intended outcome.
He pointed out that if the goal was to block Gachagua from consolidating support in the mountain or to safeguard President William Ruto’s influence in the region, then that approach has failed.
“And if Kindiki intended that he lock Gachagua from going away with the mountain or keep Ruto off the mountain, then that was a bad gamble and hasn’t worked,” he added.
Voter turnout
He also observed that voter turnout in Mt Kenya during the next general election is likely to be higher than what was recorded in the previous polls. He projected that the majority of the votes would go into one basket, regardless of efforts to divide the electorate, citing the growing sense of anger within the region towards the current administration.
He further added that even if Kiharu MP, who has been away from the political scene for long time, would not be able to shake Gachagua’s influence in the vote-rich region