The battle for the control of the vote-rich Meru county intensified at the weekend with the Kenya Kwanza team, led by President William Ruto and his deputy Kithure Kindiki, seeking residents’ continued support of their government.

This came as opposition leaders led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua made a whirlwind tour of the county with nine constituencies to urge residents to shun Ruto and his government and rally behind his team.

Meru is emerging as a major battleground for both the Ruto team and Gachagua’s with analysts saying it could offer a swing vote in the 2027 contest.

As some key Meru political leaders, including former Cabinet ministers Peter Munya and Mithika Linturi, coalesce around the opposition, impeached Governor Kawira Mwangaza is being salivated for by both the Gachagua and Ruto camps to bolster their grassroots support.

Meru County has a total of 772,139 registered voters according to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Yesterday, Gachagua hit out at Kindiki for allegedly funding the youth through MPs from Meru to disrupt his meetings in the area that coincided with an event attended by Ruto on Saturday.

Gachagua claimed Kindiki on Friday night gathered MPs from the area, whom he had earlier instructed to mobilise the residents against Gachagua and gave them money to distribute to the youth to disrupt his meetings.

The Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader began his Meru tour on Friday, June 20, 2025, where he addressed the residents at roadside rallies in various towns.

He concluded his visit yesterday after attending a church service at Meru African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (AIPCA).

He was accompanied by the top echelons of his party, including Secretary General Cleophas Malala and National Organising Secretary Mithika Linturi.

Farmers Day

Ruto spent Saturday, June 20, 2025, in the county where he presided over the 10th Annual Dairy Farmers Field Day at the Meru ASK showground and later addressed residents at Makutano in Meru town.

Gachagua maintained that despite the efforts by Kindiki to buy out the residents from attending his rallies, his supporters remained defiant and forced him to address them.

“The youth yearning to hear from us, abandoned their prearranged missions by Ruto allies and forced us to address them while chanting One Term. In some areas, like Mikinduri, there were plans to burn tyres on the road to block our convoy, but they resisted the orders. In other areas, some were armed with arrows and pangas to attack us, but when they saw us passing, they threw away the weapons,” Gachagua said.

“They assured the President that as long as he is within Meru county, the tribalist (Gachagua) will not be allowed to address even 10 people in this county. Kindiki, who nobody elected him and is a mere government employee, conveyed the message to Ruto,” Gachagua said.

The former Mathira MP claimed Ruto poisoned his relationship with residents of the Central region by lying to them and betraying the trust they had in him when they voted for their presidency in 2022.

“He knows he has lost the mountain. My brother William Ruto stop blaming me, I am not the cause. I sat you down and told you that the Mt Kenya people trusted you and voted for you, and the route you have taken, you have betrayed them. They hate to be lied to and to be misused,” he stated.

Dismissed opponent

Gachagua added: “I advised you that all the things you are doing against them will make them turn against you, but you dismissed me, saying I had been in elective politics for a short time.”

DCP leader told Ruto, “I am more versed than you about how the regions think and act politically.”

As the Central region support decreased, Gachagua said Director General of National Intelligence Service Noordin Haji misadvised Ruto that he was better off forming an alliance with Raila Odinga and that losing Gachagua will be inconsequential to his re-election.

He cautioned Meru residents against taking promises made by Ruto on Saturday, including converting Meru town into a city, seriously.

“Ruto has become a pathological liar who believes in his own lies. The elders from this region have been taken aback by his lies that he is a descendant of Meru,” he stated.

Additionally, Gachagua said that despite the president’s attempts to win back the Central region, the residents are against his administration and will not elect him in 2027.

“If you want to be reelected for a second term, don’t factor in the votes from the Central region. Your support from this region has diminished,” he said.

Former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malalah told the congregants that Gachagua is now the leader of the opposition who will keep the Ruto administration in check.

He defended the DCP leader from accusations from pro-Kenya Kwanza alliance leaders who have labelled him as a tribalist, saying he has shaken off the title with his recent efforts to unite communities with the ‘we are cousins’ references.

“Gachagua has united all communities against your accusations that he is a tribal leader. Communities are referring to each other as cousins,” Malala said.

The former Kakamega Senator hinted at plans by Ruto to award the deputy president seat to a leader from the Western region in the next general election.  

He said Kindiki is only wasting his time since Ruto will pick a leader from the region to get the votes from the Western counties.

“You are talking about only 300,000 votes. Can you compete with Wetangula, Oparanya and Musalia, who have promised Ruto 1.6 million votes? They are misusing you as they did with Central MPs to eject one of their own (Gachagua) from the government.”

Meanwhile, a section of leaders affiliated to the former DP Gachagua have urged President William Ruto to resign, claiming he is unable to run the government.

The leaders said Kenya is a country with a mature democracy, and having people killed because of criticising the government is an indication of poor leadership, and the president is taking the country back to the dark days.

Speaking when they visited the family of Boniface Mwangi, the street vendor who was shot during the demos last week, the leaders, led by the former Kigumo member of parliament, Jamelck Kamau, said anybody who has been involved in the killings of the young people should not be allowed to serve in any position.

Kamau said the buck stops with the president, who took an oath to protect all the citizens, but he has now gone against it.

“The president is taking the country back to the dark days of dictatorship, where people could not criticise the government, and we are not going to keep quiet about it anymore,” said Kamau.

“We have lost so many lives of our young people, and it’s time we say enough is enough and have all those involved go home,” he added.