‘Mt Kenya is gone’ – Kaluma tells Ruto

Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma has advised President William Ruto to stop banking on the support of the Mt Kenya region in his political endeavours.

In a cryptic statement shared on his X account on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, Kaluma cautioned the president that in 2022, the vote-rich region did not vote for him (Ruto) due to conviction, but to punish opposition leader Raila Odinga.

“President @WilliamsRuto, Mt. Kenya is gone, kabisa! They didn’t vote for you; they voted against Raila due to their undone 1969 Wamera oath,” he said.

Kaluma further stated that a section of leaders from the region wanted Ruto to exclude other Kenyans from development and public service. He says Ruto’s decision to include other regions in government is the reason for his political fall-out with Mt Kenya.

“In exchange for their (Mt Kenya) votes, they were to rule as you reign – you were/are to repay their votes by excluding the other Kenyans, from development and public service,” the statement read.

He advised Ruto to heed his advice and act fast to consolidate other regions rather than focusing on Mt Kenya.

“No amount of projects and public service appointments will return them. Smell the coffee! Act fast to consolidate your new bases. Refuse to heed, and perish!” he said.

Betrayal in the mountain

Last year, several lawmakers from the Mount Kenya region, including some from former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s Nyeri constituency, voted to impeach him, a decision that has not been well received by the local population.

Following the impeachment, many of the President’s allies who attempted to hold public rallies in their constituencies are facing backlash, being heckled and in some cases even chased away.

As a result, Ruto’s allies are facing an uphill battle in their bid for re-election in the 2027 polls. Gachagua has been crisscrossing the region, calling out those surrounding his former boss for betraying the community and selling their conscience.

Speaking in Embu on January 3, 2025, during the burial of former Senator Lenny Kivuti’s son, Gachagua emphasized his determination to ensure that all leaders elected from the region in 2027 are properly vetted, to prevent a repeat of his impeachment.

According to Gachagua, his former friends-turned-foes in the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) accepted money, voted for his impeachment, and ultimately betrayed the community.

“The problem we are having is leaders who sell us as a community. They betrayed us, took money and sold the community. That is why we are in a deep problem as a community. Going forward, we want a calibre of leaders who will be elected to be tested and proven patriots who cannot sell the community for their stomachs,” claimed Gachagua.