Gatundu South MP Gabriel Kagombe has announced that he is severing ties with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), accusing President William Ruto’s administration of failing to honour key campaign promises made to residents of the constituency.
Kagombe, who was elected on a UDA ticket in the 2022 General Election, said he could no longer continue supporting an administration that, in his assessment, had failed to deliver meaningful development to Gatundu South despite the constituency’s support for the Kenya Kwanza government.
The MP made the announcement on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, during the burial of community leader Phyllis Njoki Kuria at Karangi village in Gatundu South, Kiambu County.
One of the key issues raised by Kagombe was the state of roads in the constituency.
He pointed to the stalled Mau Mau roads, which he said had remained in poor condition for years, affecting residents and farmers who rely on the roads to transport their produce to markets.
Kagombe also criticised the government’s development priorities, arguing that major projects were being undertaken in other parts of the country while Gatundu South and the wider Mt Kenya region continued to face infrastructure challenges.
The lawmaker, who also serves as a Zone One director at the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA), turned his criticism to the tea sector, particularly government measures affecting farmers.
He questioned the implementation of the Guaranteed Minimum Returns (GMR) promised to tea farmers and criticised levies affecting the sector, including the 0.8 per cent export levy and a proposed Sh3.85 per kilogramme bulk tea auction levy.
Kagombe argued that the additional charges would further reduce farmers’ earnings at a time when they were already facing rising production costs and fluctuating returns.
He also accused the government of failing to honour its fertiliser subsidy commitments, claiming that billions of shillings remained unpaid.
The MP’s break with UDA comes days after he publicly threatened to defect following the arrest of Mukurwe-ini MP John Kaguchia. Kagombe had warned that he would consider moving to the Democratic Party for Citizens (DCP) if the government did not intervene in Kaguchia’s case.
Kagombe has not, however, disclosed which political party he intends to use to defend his Gatundu South seat in the 2027 General Election.
His announcement adds to growing political activity in the Mt Kenya region ahead of the 2027 polls, with a number of leaders increasingly questioning their continued association with the Kenya Kwanza administration.
