NAIROBI, Kenya — Githunguri Member of Parliament Gathoni Wamuchomba has reignited debate over an alleged political understanding between former President Uhuru Kenyatta and President William Ruto that shaped Kenya’s leadership succession.
The MP said the arrangement was anchored on stability, coexistence, and national unity, not tribal entitlement.
In a lengthy statement on X, Wamuchomba said Kenyatta and Ruto entered into what she described as a 10;10-year political support pact, with Kenyatta stabilising the country during his tenure and Ruto expected to complete the remaining years of the informal arrangement.
“President Uhuru did so in 2009 and agreed to have President Ruto support him into the presidency in 2013. They agreed on a 10:10 years support pact. We are almost there in fulfilling it,” she said.
While the alleged deal has never been formally documented or publicly confirmed by the two leaders, it has long featured in Mt Kenya political discourse as a framework that guided the region’s support for Ruto after Kenyatta’s exit from office in 2022.
Such political deals are however not legally binding to voters of a certain region.
Stability Over Entitlement
Wamuchomba said the understanding helped prevent the country from descending into chaos at a critical moment in Kenya’s history, crediting Uhuru with steering the nation away from instability.
“Uhuru managed to stabilise a country that was on the verge of anarchy. He became our true kingpin,” she said.
However, she warned that the Mt Kenya region is now experiencing its most difficult moment — not because of external political threats, but due to deep internal divisions.
“Our differences are no longer external; they are internal,” she said, lamenting the public attacks among leaders from the region, including confrontations at funerals and churches.
Mt Kenya Divisions and Gachagua Factor
Her remarks come amid growing political realignment in Mt Kenya, where a significant section of leaders and voters have shifted loyalty to Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua.
Gachagua is the former Deputy President who has positioned himself as the region’s defender following his fallout with President Ruto.
Ruto lobbied MPs and then opposition leader the late Raila Odinga to impeach Gachagua.
Wamuchomba cautioned that internal hostility and political hardening in Mt Kenya risk weakening the region’s bargaining power nationally.
“Other communities are laughing at us as we tear each other apart,” she said.
She criticised local radio stations and social media platforms for allegedly amplifying hate speech, propaganda, gossip, and misinformation, warning that such narratives were damaging families, businesses, and careers.
Lessons From Post-Election Violence
Drawing from her experience in the media sector between 1998 and 2007, Wamuchomba recalled the devastating consequences of the 2007–2008 post-election violence, including displacement, mass graves, and forced migration.
“The Hague debacle wasn’t fun. We all said ‘Don’t be vague, go to The Hague’ — and we regretted it,” she said, adding that younger generations who grew up in peace may not fully appreciate the cost of political violence.
She said those experiences shaped her decision to reject tribal mobilisation, even when politically advantageous.
Support for Ruto, But Not Tribal Politics
Wamuchomba said she had made a conscious choice to allow President Ruto to govern in peace, while still holding him accountable as a steward of the country.
She noted that she supported Ruto in 2017 despite him not being from the Mt Kenya region and stood by the same principle today.
“I elected him knowing very well he’s not from Mlima, and so I will support him knowing the same,” she said.
She stressed that her role in Parliament was to serve and protect her constituents’ interests, not to wage political wars.
‘Kenya Is Bigger Than Mlima’
“Kenya is bigger than Mlima. I hold a Kenyan degree, not a Mlima degree,” she said.
“I am a daughter of Mlima, but I live with daughters of other hills and valleys.”
She urged Kenyans who oppose President Ruto to do so on policy and leadership grounds, not ethnic lines.
“You don’t have to support William Ruto, but shun tribal hatred and promote coexistence,” she said.
