Advertisement

Ruto’s diminishing support in Mt Kenya triggers anxiety

Ruto’s diminishing support in Mt Kenya triggers anxiety
President William Ruto during a Church service at Friends Comprehensive School, Kivaywa, Kakamega County on Sunday, June 15, 2025. PHOTO/https://www.facebook.com/williamsamoei

The fallout between President William Ruto and his former deputy Rigathi Gachagua has thrown their supporters into a huge dilemma on which side to take and the ‘political consequences’ likely to follow.

Ruto enjoyed massive support from the Mt Kenya region during campaigns and elections, but after the impeachment of Gachagua, the residents felt betrayed and vowed to withdraw their support for him.

While a significant number opted to stick with the president, Gachagua also got his share of the leaders who stood with him and have been defending him.

The president’s tour in the region in April was an apparent move to try to woo Gachagua supporters to his camp, but it did not yield much. This gave an indication that his support in the area has significantly declined.

The leaders affiliated with Ruto have been defending their move, saying that they campaigned so hard for the Kenya Kwanza government and they must stick there so as to ensure their people get the benefits.

“We fought for the formation of this government and we cannot act like the hunting dogs which go home with nothing, leaving the meat with other people to enjoy,” said Murang’a women representative Betty Maina.

Joining opposition

She, like other leaders, claims that joining the opposition will deprive the electorate of the development projects from the government.

“We are staying in the government to ensure our people get the development projects that will benefit them,” he added.

The pro-Ruto team insists that his support from the region is still solid and will support him in 2027 for his re-election bid.   

During an interview on Kameme TV last week, Gachagua said he has been getting many calls from people in Ruto’s camp who want to join him, but they are afraid of defecting at this moment, citing personal reasons.

“Anybody who is stuck with the president is there for his personal gains; it has nothing to do with development as they claim, and I can assure them that they will also be going home in 2027,” said Gachagua.

Gachagua, who claims to have the sole authority and political command for the region, has said the people will not be supporting Ruto for 202;7 instead, he will give them the direction.

Through his political party, the DCP, he has been drawing more leaders to his camp, and they are banking on his influence to capture their seats.

Some of the leaders who served in the previous regime have hinted at joining hands with Gachagua, something that could rattle Ruto’s camp.

More defection

Peter Njau, a political leader from Limuru, says there will be more defections from Ruto’s camp to Gachagua as we approach 202,7, saying for now a majority are still in the government to avoid being intimidated or harassed.

Njau, however, said there might never be another party euphoria like the one witnessed in 2022, adding that this was the biggest mistake people ever made by electing leaders because of the party rather than checking the capability of an individual.

Moses Kuria, a senior political advisor to the president, however, says that the region does not follow the directive from an individual; rather, there is a common factor that makes them support a particular candidate.

Kuria said he has been in the presidential campaigns for more than three decades, and thus, he understands the dynamics in the region better than anyone else.

“The community just looks for a factor that unites them, but it does not follow the command of anyone,” he said.

“Gachagua cannot dictate the direction that the region will take because he doesn’t have the capacity to do so,” added Kuria. He also said as much as people are not happy with the government, they should try to get the best out of it in terms of development.

Bosco Mutegi, a political analyst from Meru, says the country’s politics are determined by three major factors: ethnicity, party and money.

Mutegi says with the fast-changing dynamics in politics, the balance can tip to any side because the two years remaining to the general election is such a long time.

“It’s still early to predict what the outcome will be because the combination of the three factors can spin things around,” he remarked.

The region remains a crucial factor in national politics as it dictates the direction that other regions will follow, and it also has a huge number of voters.

Former Mukurweini MP Kabando wa Kabando claimed Ruto has lost the majority of Mt Kenya’s support to his former deputy, Rigathi Gachagua.

In a statement on X, Kabando argued that while Mt Kenya overwhelmingly backed Ruto in the 2022 elections, the region has since grown disillusioned with his leadership.

“For every 100 votes Ruto got in 2022, 47 came from a hypnotised Mt Kenya. Of each 100 Gema persons who voted for Ruto, 95 are furiously against him today,” he stated. Furthermore, Kabando has thrown his weight behind Gachagua, calling him the new face of resistance in Mt Kenya.

“We 100 per cent support the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua to terminate the kleptocrat Kasongo Ruto’s evil rule,” he stated.

Yesterday, Gachagua continued with his onslaught against Ruto, terming him a divisive leader who has no agenda for the people of Kenya. Gachagua, who spoke while hosting Maa leaders at his Wamunyoro home, Nyeri County, alleged that President Ruto had run out of ideas for running the country.

Author

For these and more credible stories, join our revamped Telegram and WhatsApp channels.
Advertisement