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Ruto returns to Nyeri in renewed Mt Kenya charm offensive
President William Ruto hosts UDA grassroots leaders from Nyeri County at the Sagana State Lodge in Nyeri County.
President William Ruto is today expected to address over 18,000 grassroots leaders in Nyeri County at Sagana State Lodge, in what is being seen as an effort to consolidate the restive mountain ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Part of the group are 11,480 officials elected during last week’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) polls in 574 polling stations in Nyeri county.
The delegation also comprises MPs, MCAs and 7,000 residents, including church leaders, elders, community leaders and members of other interest groups.
Mathira MP Eric Wamumbi said the meeting is a follow-up to the President’s tour of Nyeri last Sunday and Monday, when he attended a church service in Othaya and launched the regional Nyota Youth programme for Nyeri, Nyandarua, Murang’a and Kirinyaga counties.
President William Ruto hosts UDA grassroots leaders from Nyeri County at the Sagana State Lodge in Nyeri County.
Development as a wedge
The MP said Dr Ruto was impressed by the reception he received from Nyeri residents, adding that during today’s forum, the President will update them on the progress his administration has made in fulfilling promises made during campaigns in the run-up to the 2022 elections.
“The President will talk about road projects being undertaken within the region. He will explain what the government has done in agriculture, the backbone of this region’s economy, among other things,” Mr Wamumbi said Friday night in a phone interview.
He added: “Dr Ruto will also explain what he’s planning to do on development in provision of water, education, building of roads and other projects, and his plans for the reminder of the term before the elections.”
Countering the "betrayal" narrative
President Ruto is banking on the grassroots UDA leaders to resuscitate support in Mt Kenya region that has continued to diminish by the day, following the impeachment in October 2024 of his former deputy, Rigathi Gachagua.
After his ouster, Mr Gachagua accused the President of betrayal and embarked on destroying his support in a region that overwhelmingly voted for him in the 2022 elections. The former DP teamed up with other opposition leaders in a movement determined to make Dr Ruto a one-term President.
To counter this attack, President Ruto deployed his deputy, Prof Kithure Kindiki, to the mountain. The Deputy President successfully led a team of politicians in campaigns during the Mbeere North parliamentary seat by-election held on November 27, 2025, which the UDA candidate won.
Mr Wambumbi maintained that UDA had not lost ground in the region as widely perceived, adding that the people of Mt Kenya had understood the opposition had nothing to offer.
“These are the same people who overwhelmingly voted for Dr Ruto in 2022 and they have not changed. During his tour last week, the President also inspected projects. We all witnessed the crowds that turned up to welcome him. The tide is changing and we’re regaining support for the President,” Mr Wamumbi said.
The MP said Dr Ruto was particularly well received in Karatina town, Mr Gachagua’s backyard, where residents “affirmed their support for his second term”.
President William Ruto hosts UDA grassroots leaders from Nyeri County at the Sagana State Lodge in Nyeri County.
The numbers game
During the tour on January 11 and 12, President Ruto assured Mt Kenya residents that he would not abandon them, saying, “I became president because of your votes. You are the ones who gave me the highest number of votes and I cannot abandon you.”
He also dismissed Mr Gachagua’s assertion that he is the one who introduced him to the mountain, saying he built his support for over 20 years, especially when he served as deputy under former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
However, opposition leaders have dismissed Dr Ruto’s efforts to woo the mountain, saying no amount of convincing would change the minds of Mt Kenya residents.
“We know that they are going to be given money in an attempt to buy loyalty. But we’re telling the President that the mountain moved on. No amount of cajoling will change the minds of residents,” said Mukurweini MPJohn Kaguchia, an ally of Mr Gachagua.
Empowerment Party (DEP) chairman Mr Titus Ntuchiu also echoed the same sentiments, saying the Kenya Kwanza administration had failed to deliver on its promises not only for the people of the mountain but the entire country.
“Kenyans know that Dr Ruto does not deserve another term because they can feel the weight of bad governance in an oppressive regime, excessive taxes and a high cost of living. Kenyans are eager to elect a leadership that has their interests and which will deliver beyond mere promises,” said Mr Ntuchiu, who is eyeing the Tigania West Constituency seat in next year’s elections.
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