AfriPulse
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has declared that the Mt Kenya region will vote as a solid bloc in the 2027 General Election, a move he said will deny President William Ruto a second term in office.
Gachagua said the region has already withdrawn its political support from President Ruto, arguing that the votes from Mt Kenya played a decisive role in delivering Ruto’s victory in the 2022 presidential election.
Speaking on Sunday at ACK Gitugi in Mathioya, Murang’a County, the former deputy president said the Head of State fully understands the political weight Mt Kenya carries and knows that its support is no longer guaranteed.
According to Gachagua, President Ruto would have no realistic path to re-election if Mt Kenya voters act in unity.
“He (Ruto) knows very well that if the mountain votes as a bloc, he stands no chance,” Gachagua said, adding that the President’s survival now depends on attempts to fragment the region’s vote.
He likened the strategy to political tactics used by former President Daniel Moi during the 1992 elections, when the late leader worked to weaken opposition strongholds by dividing their support bases.
Gachagua assured supporters that whoever the United Opposition settles on as its presidential candidate in 2027 will receive full backing from Mt Kenya.
“The candidate who will be picked by the United Opposition will be guaranteed the entire votes from the mountain,” he said.
“We will not allow anybody to divide Mt Kenya votes,” Gachagua added. “Kalonzo Musyoka, if the formula favours you, you will get the entire votes from the mountain. Matiang’i, if it favours you, you will get the entire Mt Kenya vote, the same with my sister Karua and Eugene or even me.”
Gachagua, who leads the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), said opposition leaders have already closed ranks and are only waiting for the right moment to unveil their broader political strategy.
He noted that the region will shift its attention away from persuasion politics and focus squarely on voter registration and turnout.
“The only issue we will deal with in Mt Kenya is registration of voters and working on turnout on election day,” he said. “We do not want people to be wasting time trying to convert others to be aligned to One Term. These people are already One Term. The conversation here is voter registration and voter turnout.”
He urged parents to ensure their children who are aged 18 and above register as voters, saying the opposition understands how to manage turnout “at the right time.”
“We will vote for anybody but not Ruto,” Gachagua said.
The church event drew a strong lineup of opposition figures, signaling growing coordination ahead of the 2027 race. Those present included Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua, DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa, former Starehe MP Maina Kamanda, former South Mugirango MP Omingo Magara, Naivasha MP Jane Kihara, Kitui Senator Enock Wambua, and DP leader Justin Muturi.
Kalonzo accused President Ruto of using intimidation language to project an image of inevitability around his re-election bid.
“We will bring this country to order, and we mean it. Why insult other leaders and say you will win with three million? Where will he get the votes?” Kalonzo asked. “He is saying that to scare us but we will not fear. We are very focused as the Opposition.”
Matiang’i called on opposition leaders to put aside personal ambition and rally around a shared national mission.
“This time round, if we stay together, we will return the country to the right path. We have a mission to help this nation,” he said.
“The needs of the people are bigger and stronger than those of individual leaders. If you really love your country, no one in the Opposition should say they must be president.”
Karua warned that Kenya risks sliding into lawlessness if constitutional safeguards continue to be ignored.
“The country has a constitution and we will not allow Ruto to break it. Kenya is not a dictatorship; it is a democracy,” she said. “If we stick together, the law cannot be broken, but if we are divided, the constitution will be disregarded.”
She also issued a stern message to security agencies, cautioning them against carrying out illegal directives.
“Police officers do not have to obey illegal orders. You will be held responsible individually if you break the law,” Karua said, urging opposition supporters to remain united “to liberate the country.”
Wamalwa dismissed claims that opposition leaders were being enticed into government, insisting that unity remains intact despite multiple presidential ambitions.
“So many of us want to be President, but we will front one,” he said. “We might be six aspirants but we will front one of us to send William Ruto home.”
Source: NairobiWire.com | Read the Full Story…
