From left: Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, President William Ruto and former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

📋 Breaking It Down

The political battle for the soul of Mt Kenya is entering a new phase, with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua seeking to consolidate his influence in a region increasingly hostile to President William Ruto , while former President Uhuru Kenyatta remains a critical player in the unfolding realignment.

On the surface, Mr Gachagua and Mr Kenyatta appear united by a common objective of weakening Dr Ruto’s grip on the region that delivered him overwhelming support in the 2022 presidential election.

But beneath the shared opposition to the President lies a more complicated contest — who gets to define Mt Kenya’s political direction after Ruto?

📌 What You Need to Know

Mr Gachagua, who served as Dr Ruto’s deputy before his impeachment in October 2024, has aggressively positioned himself as the political voice of a region he says has been short-changed by the Kenya Kwanza administration.

Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

The Democracy for the Citizen’s Party (DCP) leader’s argument is that Mt Kenya supported Dr Ruto overwhelmingly in 2022, but the political dividends promised to the region have not matched expectations.

The former deputy president has used his fallout with Dr Ruto to rebuild his political base, travelling extensively across the region and presenting himself as the politician capable of organising Mt Kenya into a formidable political bloc ahead of 2027.

Although the former President has largely withdrawn from the day-to-day electoral contest, he remains Jubilee Party leader and Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition Council Chairman, a coalition he backed under the late Raila Odinga in the 2022 General Election.

Mr Kenyatta also retains political networks built over his decade in State House.

📰 Source: Nation Africa