NAIROBI, Kenya — Former Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has claimed that President William Ruto can secure re-election in the 2027 General Election even with minimal or no support from the Mt Kenya region, arguing that the President has built a sufficiently broad coalition across other parts of the country.
Kuria said Ruto’s support in several key electoral blocs could give him a second term without relying heavily on Mt Kenya, traditionally one of Kenya’s largest voting regions.
“The president is going to be re-elected without a single vote from Mt Kenya region. If he wins the same 13 per cent that he won in Ol Kalou, it can only be a bonus. Figures don’t lie,” Kuria said during an interview on Citizen TV’s Sunday Live programme.
He added that even a modest share of the Mt Kenya vote would constitute an advantage for Ruto.
“If the president gets 13 per cent of Mt Kenya, it’s a very big win for him. It’s more than he needs,” Kuria said.
Kuria argued that Ruto enjoys strong support in four major electoral blocs, which he identified as the Coast, North Eastern, the KAMATUSA region and Luo Nyanza.
“In my experience, he has the Coastal bloc, North-Eastern, KAMATUSA (Kalenjin, Maasai, Turkana, Samburu) and the Luo Nyanza. The likelihood for him to lose votes from these regions is very low,” he said.
He further claimed that President Ruto has significant support in Mt Kenya West, Lower Eastern and Kisii, arguing that these regions could also contribute substantially to the President’s national vote tally.
Kuria also pointed to increased voter registration as another factor that could influence the 2027 contest, saying the growth in registered voters could strengthen Ruto’s prospects for a second term.
His remarks come amid growing political realignments ahead of the 2027 General Election, particularly in Mt Kenya, where Ruto’s support has come under increased scrutiny following the emergence of opposition formations seeking to challenge the Kenya Kwanza administration.
The region has historically played a decisive role in presidential elections because of its large voting population. However, political loyalties have shifted significantly since the 2022 election, when Ruto secured substantial support in the region.
The President’s standing in parts of Mt Kenya has faced fresh questions following the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, where Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Samuel Muchina Nyagah finished second behind Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) candidate Sammy Kamau Ngotho.
Ngotho secured 35,440 votes, while Nyagah garnered 5,450 votes, with other candidates receiving significantly fewer votes.
The result was interpreted by opposition leaders as evidence of changing political dynamics in the region, although the outcome of a single parliamentary by-election does not necessarily determine voting patterns in a presidential election.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who leads DCP, has intensified efforts to consolidate opposition support in Mt Kenya and has positioned the region as a critical battleground ahead of 2027.
Kuria’s assessment nevertheless reflects a broader argument within the President’s political camp that Ruto can compensate for potential losses in Mt Kenya by consolidating support in other regions.
