President William Ruto has finally addressed the simmering political situation in the country with various leaders angling themselves in preparation for the 2027 polls.

Speaking in Nyeri County on Sunday, September 15, 2024, Ruto wondered why all of a sudden the 2027 succession politics had dominated the country yet the polls are three years away.

In a subtle warning, Ruto directed those involved in various political wrangles to divert their attention on service delivery to avoid the wrath of the electorates whom he boldly indicated would decide the 2027 elections.

However, Ruto did not directly mention his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki who have recently been at the centre of political discussions in the Mt Kenya region.

“Tunguze mambo ya 2027. Huku 2027 ni Mungu na wananchi ndio wataamua. Lakini sasa tukona miaka mitatu na haiwezi kuwa tu ya kupanga vile tutashinda tena 2027. (Let us reduce issues to do with 2027. In 2027, it is God and the voters who will decide. Right now and we cannot only focus on how to win the 2027 elections),” President Ruto stated.

“Panga kwanza vile ya kutumikia hawa wananchi. (Let us first strategise on how we will serve the people),” he insisted.

Gachagua vs Kindiki

The political pulse in the Mt Kenya region has recently been dictated by who is the preferred Kingpin between DP Gachagua and CS Kindiki.

Gachagua, who has been the greatest defender of the mountain, has found himself in a tight spot after 48 legislators from the Mt Kenya region named CS Kithure Kindiki as their defacto kingpin of the Central region.

The whole Gachagua isolation scheme started after some 21 MPs from the Mt Kenya East region endorsed Kindiki as their link between Mt Kenya and the government.

Later, 48 MPs from the Mt Kenya region followed suit and picked Kindiki, in what they termed the ‘Nyandarua declaration.’ The lawmakers defended their move, saying that the absence of a centralised leader hindered the region’s development.

“On this basis, we meet to restate our commitment to the unity and development agenda of all the people of Mt Kenya region and those in the diaspora, even as we advance the collective agenda of the Kenyan nation,” the MPs said in a statement.

Despite their endorsement, Kindiki has yet to issue a public statement.

Gachagua’s response

However, Gachagua with his faction, has remained firm indicating his intentions for defending his position in the national political arena.

Using the analogy of an old Kikuyu tale, the DP dismissed the MPs as sellouts who he likened to gullible hyenas being misled by a cunning hare.

In the tale, the hyena and the hare agreed to unleash terror on their wives by battering them. As agreed, the hyena went ahead and beat his wife while the hare beat drums while making noises, convincing the gullible hyena that he too had acted as agreed.

“Do you know our hyenas? Do you know them? Do you know them? Now our people, with everything that is going on, is there anything that you do not know?” Gachagua responded to Kindiki’s endorsement.