Mt. Kenya’s Young Politicians Clash with DP Gachagua Over Leadership

Power struggles are sweeping Mt. Kenya as ambitious young legislators within UDA openly contradict Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

As divisions deepen within UDA ranks, regional opposition leaders are plotting to make President William Ruto a one-term president, aiming to replace him with their own candidate.

At the Limuru III conference last Friday, leaders called for unity and a regional presidential candidate for 2027, emphasizing that the region’s interests cannot be represented by an ‘outsider’ like Ruto, who hails from Rift Valley.

“Uhuru meant well by bringing up BBI but we let him down. This time around, we must support our candidate whether a lady or a gentleman,” said former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu.

Some leaders at the Limuru meeting declared that the community’s direction will be decided by former President Uhuru Kenyatta. Key opposition figures include Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua, former Agriculture CS Peter Munya, and former Murang’a Governor Mwangi Wa Iria.

Within UDA, youthful leaders are signaling their desire to replace Gachagua as the region’s de facto leader. MPs backing Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro have declared that Gachagua has failed and should allow Nyoro to deputize Ruto in 2027.

Recently, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria and Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah sharply contradicted Gachagua on the ‘one man, one vote’ principle at the Limuru meeting. Kuria openly criticized Gachagua for asking those with grievances to channel them to his office, stating, “This country does not have a forwarding address to solve people’s grievances… You cannot be telling us that if we have grievances, you address them through me… as who?” He further emphasized, “Problems must be discussed openly and broadly.”

In a separate TV interview, Ichung’wah dismissed Gachagua’s call for ‘one man, one shilling,’ warning that the formula, which proposes greater revenue shares based on population and own-source revenue generation, may not favor Mt. Kenya. He cited, “We have a county not as big as Kwale that has one of the country’s highest poverty indices. But if you look at KRA revenue books from Kwale tourism and Base Titanium, it would probably outstrip revenue from a larger county with a larger population and a lower poverty index.”

Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri, another senior leader from the Mt. Kenya region, has taken a low profile. Earlier this year, a group of MPs supporting Nyoro demanded that Gachagua be dropped as Ruto’s deputy in favor of Nyoro and endorsed Nyoro as Ruto’s successor in 2032.

Complicating matters, CS Moses Kuria is reportedly positioning himself as Mt. Kenya’s political kingpin, openly challenging rivals. In a cryptic message on X, Kuria said, “You cannot be declared an Olympic swimming champion for swimming in a bathtub. Oh, ye angling for regional supremacy, come and face me in the open Indian Ocean that is the great Republic of Kenya.”

Mbeere North MP Geoffrey Ruku dismissed any leader challenging the DP, insisting, “Nobody is going to take this region forward, the only person to take this region forward is the Deputy President.”

Amid the UDA conflicts, the Azimio axis, led by former Justice Minister Martha Karua and former Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni, is plotting a major political comeback. Last week, they convened Limuru III to strategize a new political direction for the region. Kioni emphasized the need for the region’s significant voter base to find a unified voice, stating, “What has informed this meeting is that our voice is lost – a region with eight million votes, we meet this Friday. We don’t have hope, our revolution is starting on [last] Friday.”

“We are actually inviting ourselves to Limuru III to chart a way forward.”

The meeting gathered the region’s professionals, politicians, businessmen, and religious organizations to discuss its economic and political future.

Council of Governors Chairperson Anne Waiguru dismissed the Limuru III meeting, terming it untimely and ineffective. Anonymous sources revealed internal tensions, with some delegates accusing leaders like Karua of pursuing personal ambitions. Former Laikipia Governor Nderitu Muriithi clarified that the meeting was a consultative forum, not an endorsement platform, stating, “Limuru III is a consultative meeting to address the issues affecting Mt. Kenya, it is not about endorsing anyone or any party.”

President Ruto’s supporters, including Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru and Gatanga MP Edward Muriu, criticized the meeting as an attempt to revive defunct political ambitions and undermine Ruto’s administration. Waiguru said, “The elections are over and those who lost in the contest are now trying to take the country back to elections mood when the mountain region wants delivery of services.”

Muriu added, “It is a dead opposition trying to resuscitate themselves politically,” urging the meeting’s convenors to present noble ideas.