KIRINYAGA, Kenya- Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has warned against attempts to divide the Mt Kenya region politically, arguing that a split between the region’s eastern and western blocs would weaken its bargaining power and benefit President William Ruto.
Gachagua spoke on Sunday during his tour of Kirinyaga County, where he intensified his campaign for political unity in the region ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The former Deputy President accused Ruto of using emerging political formations and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki to create divisions between Mt Kenya East and Mt Kenya West. He has made similar claims during his ongoing grassroots mobilisation in the region, arguing that the strategy is intended to fragment the Mt Kenya vote.
Gachagua urged residents to remain united, warning that allowing the region to be split politically would diminish its influence in the 2027 elections.
His remarks come amid an increasingly visible campaign by leaders from Mt Kenya East for greater political recognition, with Kindiki and Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku among leaders associated with the push for a stronger eastern bloc.
The DCP leader has dismissed the East-West framing, insisting that the region should approach the 2027 contest as one political bloc.
Gachagua warns Uhuru over Ruto talks
Gachagua also weighed in on speculation surrounding a possible political rapprochement between President Ruto and retired President Uhuru Kenyatta.
He has recently defended Kenyatta against calls for him to work with Ruto, saying the former President should not be pressured into a political arrangement with his successor. On Sunday, Gachagua said Kenyatta had been right to reject what he described as a proposed political handshake with Ruto.
The comments come days after renewed speculation over a possible realignment involving Kenyatta, Gachagua and other opposition leaders. A recent meeting between Gachagua and Jubilee Party Deputy Leader Jeremiah Kioni has fuelled further discussion about a potential Mt Kenya political alliance ahead of 2027.
Gachagua attacks ‘wheelbarrow’ parties
During his Kirinyaga tour, Gachagua also urged residents to reject what he described as political parties being created to fragment the Mt Kenya vote.
He specifically urged residents to rally behind DCP, warning them against what he called President Ruto’s “wheelbarrow” political strategy.
“We have our party DCP; don’t fall into the trap of William’s party wheelbarrow. Our home party is DCP in Kirinyaga and it is our party to look for our government,” Gachagua said, according to reports from the tour.
The DCP leader’s remarks come as new political formations emerge in the Mt Kenya region, including the People’s Party of Kenya associated with Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro. The emergence of competing parties has intensified debate over whether the region will maintain a unified political position ahead of the 2027 polls.
Gachagua’s Kirinyaga tour is part of a broader grassroots mobilisation campaign aimed at consolidating support for DCP across Mt Kenya. The tour included stops at Kiangagana, Kiangombe and Rurui shopping centres, where he engaged residents and party supporters.
The former Deputy President has positioned the unity of Mt Kenya as a central theme of his 2027 political strategy, while accusing the Ruto administration of seeking to weaken the region by encouraging competing political centres.
The claims have not been independently established, and the President and his allies have not publicly admitted to a strategy of deliberately splitting the Mt Kenya vote.
