Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua and Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro have closed ranks in demanding that President William Ruto's 2025/26 budget addresses the interests of Mt Kenya region.
On Sunday, the two, who was once close allies of President Ruto , independently said the budget must factor in development funds and agricultural debt waiver kitties. They threatened to spearhead a major showdown with the government, if these demand are not met.
Speaking at Christ's Joy Christian Church in Gatanga constituency, Murang'a County Mr Gachagua accused President Ruto of dishing out handouts to buy support in Mt Kenya region.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua meets his supporters after unveiling his new political outfit, the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), in Lavington, Nairobi on May 15, 2025.
Photo credit: Reuters
“President Ruto seeks to make Mt Kenya a zone of economic and political slaves. He is out to impoverish the region,” Mr Gachagua said.
“Anytime you hear Ruto speak of tribalism, he is indirectly talking of Mt Kenya. Yet, we voted for him in 2022. I will counter him. I'm the Mt Kenya gatekeeper and there is nothing he will do about it. I will make him understand that not all times does bribery work in politics," the former Deputy President said.
“I have a spy network in all his government departments. Instead of bringing foodstuff and petty cash to Mt Kenya, he should build industries for us. Tokenism will not help Ruto in Mt Kenya. He should not panic. We will send him home to make Kenya a dignified place to live in,” he added.
At the same time, Mr Gachagua reiterated that his newly unveiled party is on a mission to dislodge Ruto from power in 2027.
“President Ruto's last resort in Mt Kenya now is tokenism. We will eat your money but in 2027 we will reject you,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Nyoro, while speaking in Kiharu constituency, accused the government of systematically strangling of resources that are meant to fund Mt Kenya interests.
"When I was the chair of the Budget Committee, I always ensured that there were sufficient allocations to the Coffee Cherry Advance Revolving Fund (CCARF). I was committed to ensuring that the coffee sector debts are waived," Mr Nyoro said.
He said for now, the CCARF has been cut by Sh1billion while the Sh7billion coffee debts waiver budget has been done away with.
Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro delivers a keynote address at Tangaza University in Nairobi on May 15, 2025.
Photo credit: Evans Habil | Nation Media Group
Mr Nyoro also said the subsidised fertiliser budget has been underfunded by Sh7billion from Sh15 billion.
“If they want that budget passed next month, they must factor in those funds. We will gang up as coffee growing zones elected leaders to shoot it down if not addressed. It will not pass. The reallocated funds have not been channelled to priority areas,” he said.
Mr Gachagua served as President Ruto's deputy from September 2023 to October 2024 when he was impeached.
On his part, Mr Nyoro was once the chair of the National Assembly's Budget and Appropriation Committee. He was removed from the seat after Mr Raila Odinga’s allies were coopted into the broad-based government.
While Mr Gachagua has since repackaged himself as the face of the opposition, Mr Nyoro has largely been non-combative.
Ndindi Nyoro to Ruto: Leverage Safaricom shares instead of taking expensive loans
Pundits indicate that Mr Nyoro might be weighing between aligning himself with one of the two main Mt Kenya wings – that of Mr Gachagua or that oscillating around former President Uhuru Kenyatta . Mr Nyoro also is said to be considering going it alone.
While Mr Gachagua appears to prefer the presidential candidature of Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka in 2027, Mr Kenyatta appears to favour his former Cabinet Secretary for Interior Dr Fred Matiang'i.
However, the Jubilee Party, which Mr Kenyatta leads, is splintered, with some members aligned to either President Ruto or Mr Gachagua.
