As President William Ruto works both publicly and behind the scenes to craft his 2027 re-election strategy, it appears Mt Kenya remains a critical battleground.
This time, however, political analyst Herman Manyora says, he might face an uphill task: “With the raging rebellion by the region’s voters—who in 2022 gave him 87 per cent of their votes, accounting for his narrow win against Raila Odinga —it appears he will have to sweat for support.”
Undeterred—even as some of his loyalists face hostility in the region where heckling has become common—Dr Ruto is experimenting with several approaches to win the region back.
The fallout began when he brought Mr Odinga into government, introduced new taxes and oversaw the impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua last October. Political pundits now highlight 10 issues President Ruto faces in Mt Kenya, which could undermine his comeback strategy.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua (centre) with other political leaders when he hosted them at his Wamunyoro home in Nyeri County on May 4, 2025.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
1. Being cast as the bogeyman
Mr Gachagua has launched a vigorous campaign against Dr Ruto, whom he helped sweep the Mountain vote in 2022 as his running mate. The region appears to have bought into the claim that Dr Ruto brought in Mr Odinga to spite Mt Kenya, then orchestrated Mr Gachagua’s impeachment to further isolate the region.
It is something Kirinyaga Woman Rep Njeri Maina has confirmed, with Mogotio MP Reuben Kiborek saying: “Mt Kenya is opposing Dr Ruto because he is not from their region.”
2. Relying on politicians with uncertain futures
The President has reduced his personal visits to the region and is instead depending on local loyalists. He has split his campaign into three teams: one led by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki , another by Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri, and a third comprising civil servants deployed since August 16, 2025.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki addressing Meru County residents at his Irunduni home in Tharaka Nithi County, on July 30, 2025.
Photo credit: DPCS
“All his loyalists are marked men, equally uncertain of their fates in the 2027 elections,” warns political commentator Prof Peter Kagwanja. “While the opposition is welcomed in roadside rallies, Ruto loyalists are confined to screened indoor meetings for fear of hostility. It is a case of uncertain leaders campaigning for an uncertain President.”
3. Betrayal by former insiders
Dr Ruto faces fierce criticism from allies-turned-rivals, including Mr Gachagua, ex-Attorney-General Justin Muturi, former Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi and former Head of Government Services Dr Peter Mbae. Their insider knowledge makes their attacks more damaging.
“Too many former state officers are betraying their oath of secrecy and revealing matters that should remain confidential,” Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has lamented.
4. Uhuru Kenyatta’s shadow
Many Mt Kenya voters now believe former President Uhuru Kenyatta was right to oppose Dr Ruto in 2022. Despite being his deputy for 10 years, Mr Kenyatta endorsed his old rival, Mr Odinga, warning the region it would regret supporting President Ruto.
Today, his words resonate more strongly, uniting those who supported Mr Odinga in 2022 with growing numbers of disillusioned Ruto supporters.
“Dr Ruto must build fresh ties with new players rather than appearing to court Mr Kenyatta, who remains part of his Mt Kenya problem,” political analyst Malila Munywoki says.
5. Uncouth talk from allies
New Gikuyu Embu Meru Association (Gema) chairman Isaac Mungai, 34, notes that “the internet is awash with President Ruto’s allies insulting voters with vulgar and condescending remarks. This portrays the President as a villain willing to attack traditions, religion, and even matrimony just to prove power.”
Nyeri Catholic Archbishop Anthony Muheria has also repeatedly warned against the “reckless culture of empty talk instead of tackling real priorities.”
Mt Kenya has historically opposed Mr Odinga. Analysts argue that had Mr Kenyatta endorsed anyone else in 2022, Dr Ruto might not have won.
“When Ruto brought Odinga into government, Mt Kenya felt betrayed. He assumed too much knowledge of the region’s political passions and carried himself with overconfidence in an area that carried him to State House,” political scientist Festus Wangwe observes.
Mr Kanene Kabiru, the director at Rwathia Distributors, which is owned by several tycoons in the Mt Kenya region, says that Mt Kenya's political sting comes from local business magnates.
He adds that any policy that hurts the billionaires is immediately weaponised and handed over to selected political actors for public onslaught.
"It has now been three years of crying that President Ruto's regime has a wild appetite for taxes...Some of his taxes eat into investment capital, hence stifling stability and growth," he said.
Mr Kabiru added that "the austerity measures as well as mass layoffs in investments are a key pointer that the taxes are crippling, hence why the hard feelings are being directed against his regime by all levels of investments, including importers".
8. Unfulfilled economic charters
Information, Communication and the Digital Economy CS William Kabogo admitted in Murang’a on August 1, 2025 that: “Our biggest problem is unfulfilled promises . We told people there would be money in their pockets, but we are yet to deliver.”
He added: “This government is like a dairy cow dripping with milk, and soon money will even be sent directly to your phones.”
Agikuyu Council of Elders chairman Wachira Kiago (Centre) accompanied by other elders at a past event.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
Kikuyu Council of Elders Chairman Wachira Kiago dismissed this as “support-for-hire politics instead of long-term development.”
Government Spokesman Isaac Mwaura later acknowledged the unmet promises but assured that President Ruto is committed to fulfilling them.
9. Spendthrift in scarcity
The government also stands accused of over-reliance on tokenism as a winning strategy where it spends money on activities that have no economic viability.
“We have seen empowerment meetings where beneficiaries end up with only Sh64,” says Mt Kenya Indigenous Faiths Union Chairman Bishop Edward Nyutu. “We have seen arrogance and flashy spending by Ruto’s point men. Using money to mesmerise voters is outdated. People now ask: How much of that cash is really mine?”
Mt Kenya voters appear restless without one of their own in power, having produced three past presidents, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta (1963-1978), Mwai Kibaki (2002-2013) and Uhuru Kenyatta (2013-2022) as Presidents.
Political pundits insist that, as is to be expected, the region might have grown to believe that power belongs to one of their own and should not be in another person's hands.
Mr Kenyatta had made this point when in 2022 declared that "Mt Kenya is not the only region that can lead the country in rotation with the Rift Valley, hence my support for Mr Odinga."
