NAKURU, Kenya — Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has accused President William Ruto and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki of attempting to divide the Mt Kenya region ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Speaking at a political rally in Nakuru on Saturday, Gachagua dismissed what he described as efforts to separate the Kikuyu, Embu and Meru communities, arguing that the region’s political and social ties transcend county boundaries.
Gachagua’s remarks come as rival political camps intensify efforts to consolidate support in the Mt Kenya region, one of the country’s most significant voting blocs.
Gachagua rejects attempts to split Mt Kenya
Gachagua accused Ruto of seeking to redraw the region’s political alliances by separating communities in Mt Kenya East from those in Mt Kenya West.
He also disputed suggestions that Nakuru should be treated separately from the wider Mt Kenya political bloc.
“Huyu Kasongo anapanga ndiyo arudi kutumaliza, lazima agawanye Mlima. Ati atoe Nakuru, sababu nyinyi si watu wa mlima. Mlima, Kasongo, hauna mipaka. Mlima ni jamii, mlima ni sisi,” Gachagua said.
The former deputy president further accused Ruto of attempting to separate the Meru and Embu communities from the wider Mt Kenya bloc as part of efforts to consolidate political support ahead of the next election.
He compared the alleged strategy to attempts by previous presidents to divide the region, arguing that such efforts had failed.
“Anataka ati agawanye Wameru na Waembu, awaondoe ati ndio atukalie,” he said.
Gachagua invoked the political history of the region, citing former presidents Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel arap Moi in arguing that attempts to fragment Mt Kenya had previously failed.
He used the imagery of the mugumo tree, a culturally significant symbol among some communities in the region, to underscore his argument.
“Kugawanya mlima ni kama kukata mti wa mgumo na wembe, utajiumiza kidole,” he said.
Gachagua targets Kindiki
Gachagua also turned his criticism towards Kindiki, accusing the deputy president of leading efforts to mobilise elders in Mt Kenya East.
He claimed Kindiki had been sent to Embu to persuade local elders to distance themselves from the broader Mt Kenya political bloc.
Gachagua questioned whether such efforts could succeed, saying the region’s communities would resist attempts to weaken their political unity.
The remarks followed a gathering of elders from Mt Kenya East in Embu, where leaders endorsed Kindiki’s continued tenure as Deputy President and called for greater political unity between Mt Kenya East and West.
The elders also backed the re-election of the Ruto-Kindiki ticket in 2027 and called for support for Kindiki’s future presidential ambitions.
Gachagua, however, rejected the initiative and maintained that the Kikuyu, Embu and Meru communities would remain politically connected.
“Sisi jamii ya Kikuyu na Waembu na Wameru, sisi tukiungana, hakuna mtu anayeweza kutugawanya. Na umoja wetu ndiyo nguvu yetu,” he said.
Mt Kenya emerges as 2027 battleground
The competing positions highlight the intensifying political contest for influence in Mt Kenya ahead of the 2027 election.
Ruto’s administration has increasingly sought to consolidate its support in the region, while Gachagua has positioned himself as a leading political voice opposed to the government.
Also Read: Mt Kenya East elders back Kindiki for future presidency, seek Mt Kenya West support
The former deputy president has repeatedly argued that the region should negotiate its political interests collectively, while the administration has sought to strengthen relationships with different communities and political leaders across Mt Kenya.
The latest dispute also places Kindiki at the centre of the region’s emerging succession politics.
With the 2027 election still ahead, the battle over who speaks for Mt Kenya, how its communities align politically and whether the region votes as a bloc is likely to remain a major feature of Kenya’s political contest.
Gachagua’s latest remarks underline his determination to preserve his influence in the region while directly challenging efforts by Ruto and Kindiki to build an alternative political alliance in Mt Kenya.
