President William Ruto has dismissed claims that any political leader delivered the Mt Kenya vote to him in the 2022 General Election, insisting it was the people of the region who made the decision after he personally campaigned for their support.
Speaking during a church service at Full Gospel Church in Gatunduri, Embu County, on Sunday, the President said he traversed the region seeking votes and building a relationship with residents, rubbishing assertions that his victory in Mt Kenya was the work of a single individual.
“I came here and asked you to vote for me, and you did. You saw me moving around your churches and asking for your prayers before the election,” Ruto told the congregation.
Without mentioning former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua by name, the Head of State took issue with leaders who have claimed they were solely responsible for his overwhelming support in the vote-rich region.
“I hear some people arrogantly saying they are the ones who asked you to vote for me. That is not true. I came here myself and we agreed to work together,” he said.
Ruto maintained that leadership should be earned directly from wananchi rather than through political brokers, urging leaders to remain humble and focus on fulfilling the promises they made to Kenyans.
The President said his administration would continue implementing its development agenda, adding that the people of Mt Kenya would have the final say based on what his government delivers.
He pointed to lower fertiliser prices, reforms in the coffee sector and the recruitment of 100,000 teachers as some of the achievements his administration has recorded since taking office. He also noted that the education budget has grown significantly over the past four years.
Ruto’s remarks come amid an intensifying political contest for influence in the Mt Kenya region ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Since falling out with the President, Gachagua has repeatedly maintained that he played a key role in rallying the region behind the Kenya Kwanza coalition during the 2022 campaigns and has accused the administration of abandoning the region after the election.
Sunday’s remarks signal that Ruto is keen to reinforce his direct connection with Mt Kenya voters as political realignments gather pace, with the region expected to remain one of the key battlegrounds in the race to State House.
