Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has asked Wiper leader Kalozo Musyoka to mobilise at least four million votes from his backyards to have a better chance in the 2027 presidential contest.
Gachagua promised that his Mt Kenya heartland could deliver 10 million votes to Musyoka's basket to make the tally 14 million.
Speaking in Mbooni Makueni County during a funeral on Wednesday, Gachagua insisted that a political partnership between Ukambani and Mt Kenya will be unbeatable in the 2027 contest.
"We have done the maths, for you to win the presidency, you must get fifty plus one. You the people of Ukambani must now increase your votes in Kitui, Machakos, Makueni, Taita Taveta and other areas to between 3.5 to 4 million,'' Gachagua said.
"Once you get to that number look for me, in our region we want to have 10 million, you must get to four million and if you want us to form the government together you must ensure that the young people register as voters.''
The former DP said the Mt Kenya region always gravitates towards the winning team in every election.
"We always work with the winning team, if we work with you, you shall win. You now have new partners who are always straightforward. We wanted to walk with Ruto but he showed disrespect,'' he said.
Gachagua told the people of Ukambani that the Mt Kenya region has not forgotten the political debt it owes Kalonzo owing to his deal in 2007 that stabilised the Mwai Kibaki presidency.
"The only debt that we have is that of Kalonzo and the people of Ukambani,'' Gachagua declared on Wednesday.
Signalling the growing camaraderie between Gachagua and Kalonzo, the ex-DP said a major political alliance is in the making that will bring together like-minded people ahead of 2027.
"We are already talking with Kalonzo and other leaders like Eugene Wamalwa and others from other regions like Maasailand to build a force for the sake of our economy,'' Gachagua said.
"We want to end the culture of lies in this country.''
The former DP declared that Mt Kenya owes Ruto no debt after he was kicked out of government as deputy president.
He, however, insisted that the Mt Kenya people keep their promises and will honour ''a few debts here and there so that we are free.''
"We are responsible people who pay debts, we owed Ruto but we have since paid it off and no longer owe him anything,'' Gachagua said during the funeral also attended by Kalonzo's allies.
He said that Mt Kenya had wanted to support Ruto for two terms but the deal has since been severed following his ouster from office as DP.
"We wanted to pay him in instalments but after the first instalment he became disrespectful and all ended there,'' he said.
Gachagua said some government leaders have been insulting Kalonzo in a sheer display of arrogance.
"It is not fair for some politicians to abuse leaders like Kalonzo who has a lot of support across the country,'' he said.
The former DP appealed to the government to stop demolitions targeting the poor in Nairobi saying such inhumane actions were not in the Kenya Kwanza manifesto.
"Let us stop demolishing homes and leaving women and children homeless during this time of Christmas,'' he said.
The government in a statement on Tuesday however had distanced itself from the Nyama Villa demolitions, saying the issue is a land ownership tussle which has been lingering on for years.
