Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has claimed that residents of Kiambu were given Ksh10,000 to back the push to separate the county from the larger Mt Kenya region during their recent visit to State House.

Speaking during a church service at PCEA Ongata Rongai in Kajiado on Sunday, August 31, 2025, Gachagua claimed that grassroots leaders from Kiambu who attended the meeting with the President were given cash to support the move.

He maintained that, despite receiving the money, many of the residents remained firm in their stance against the government, insisting that it had failed to deliver and should only serve one term.

“5,000 people from Kiambu wamefika pale kila mtu ksh10,000 ati ndio watenge Kiambu waitoe kwa mlima, wakachukua pesa wakaenda nyumbani wakiimba one term,” Gachagua said.

Ichung’wah supporting the split

The claims by the former deputy president come  days after National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah publicly joined the call to have Kiambu County separated from Mt Kenya

Speaking during a meeting at State House where President William Ruto hosted a delegation of grassroots leaders from Mt. Kenya on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, Ichung’wah told the Head of State that although Kiambu is often regarded as part of the Mt. Kenya region, the only mountains its residents can actually see and boast of are Ngong Hills and Kilimambogo.

The majority leader emphasised that Kiambu should be recognised as a region in its own right, a declaration that was met with overwhelming approval from the grassroots leaders present.

He went on to assure the President of Kiambu’s unwavering political support, noting that the county has a significant voting base that the Head of State can count on.

“We have been christened the people of Mt Kenya, lakini ile Milima pekee hawa watu wa Kiambu wanaona ni Ngong Hills na Kilimambogo, na wamesema wao ni a region by themselves; Kiambu is a region on its own,” Ichung’wah stated.

This also comes days after a section of Members of Parliament from the county unanimously agreed that the county should be stripped of Mt Kenya, stating that based on its numbers, it should be treated as a separate region from the rest of the mountain, and any development should be taken to the Kiambu region, just like it is the case with Nairobi County.