Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has declared that the Mt Kenya region will vote as a single bloc in the 2027 General Election, warning that President William Ruto will struggle to secure a second term without the region’s support.
Speaking on Sunday at ACK Gitugi in Mathioya, Murang’a County, Gachagua said Ruto’s 2022 victory heavily relied on votes from Mt Kenya, support he claimed has now been withdrawn.
“He knows very well that if the mountain votes as a bloc, he stands no chance,” Gachagua said, adding that Ruto’s survival in politics now depends on attempts to divide the region’s vote.
He compared the strategies allegedly being used by Ruto to tactics employed by the late Daniel Moi during the 1992 elections, which sought to weaken opposition strongholds.
Gachagua, leader of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), assured that whichever candidate the United Opposition picks to face Ruto in 2027 will receive the full backing of Mt Kenya.
“The candidate chosen by the United Opposition will have the entire mountain behind them. We will not allow anyone to divide Mt Kenya votes,” he said, naming Kalonzo Musyoka, Fred Matiang’i, Martha Karua, Eugene Wamalwa, and even himself as potential candidates.
He added that the focus in the region will be on voter registration and turnout, rather than trying to convince people politically.
“We are not here to convert anyone. The priority is to register voters and ensure they turn out on election day,” he said, urging parents to ensure that all children aged 18 and above are registered.
The event was attended by prominent opposition figures, including Kalonzo Musyoka, Fred Matiang’i, Martha Karua, Eugene Wamalwa, Maina Kamanda, Omingo Magara, Jane Kihara, Enock Wambua, and DP leader Justin Muturi.
Kalonzo accused Ruto of using intimidation to project inevitability but said the opposition remains focused and unshaken.
“He is trying to scare us, but we will not be intimidated. We are united and focused,” he said.
Matiang’i called for unity among opposition leaders, urging them to put national interest above personal ambition.
“The needs of the people are bigger than those of individual leaders. If we truly love our country, no one in the opposition should insist on being president,” he said.
Karua warned against disrespect for the Constitution, saying Kenya is a democracy, not a dictatorship, and urged security officers to reject unlawful orders.
Wamalwa dismissed suggestions that opposition leaders were being co-opted into government, emphasizing that while several leaders may aspire to the presidency, the opposition will back one candidate to challenge Ruto.
“We might be six aspirants, but we will front one of us to send William Ruto home,” he said.
