Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s grip on the Mt Kenya political bloc is facing a challenge.
President William Ruto and his deputy Kithure Kindiki are working behind the scenes to weaken his influence ahead of the 2027 election.
The duo has opted to work with influential politicians and opinion shapers to counter the deposed DP’s narratives.
A meeting of the Kikuyu Council of Elders has been called next week to discuss these strategies among other endeavours.
National chairman Wachira Kiago said the meeting of elders from various communities would be at Two Rivers on February 28.
The meeting, which would be attended by elders from other communities within the Gema framework, will discuss peace initiatives.
“We want unity across the country. Kenya should remain peaceful, integrated, and free from divisive political rhetoric,” Kiago said.
The meeting comes against the backdrop of concerted efforts by the government to counter anti-Ruto dissent.
DP Kindiki has turned his Karen residence into a political hub, hosting a series of high-profile meetings with key figures to realign Mt Kenya politics in Ruto’s favour.
The strategy involves reconnecting with influential leaders, religious figures and opinion shapers to subtly shift the region’s power dynamics away from Gachagua.
Former Jubilee leaders who had initially opposed UDA but are now warming up to Ruto’s administration have been spotted at the meetings, thanks to Kindiki’s behind-the-scenes efforts.
Political analyst Charles Mwangi Ng’ang’a said the Ruto-Kindiki plan is two-pronged.
He argued that first, they are enticing influential figures who had distanced themselves from Kenya Kwanza by offering them new roles.
Secondly, they are assigning political tasks to grassroots leaders to slowly shift loyalty away from Gachagua.
“Kindiki’s strategy is multifaceted. It not only focuses on promoting the Kenya Kwanza government’s economic transformation agenda but also aims to dismantle Gachagua’s political stronghold in the region,” the JKUAT don said.
In a counter-strategy, Gachagua appears to be forging new alliances with Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s 2022 running mate Martha Karua, and DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa.
Once seen as the undisputed voice of Mt Kenya in Ruto’s administration, Gachagua has grown increasingly vocal in his opposition.
He has been holding parallel meetings, consolidating his base through grassroots mobilisation and pushing the “one-man, one-vote, one-shilling” economic model.
During a church service at AIPCA Antubetwe in Igembe North on Sunday, Gachagua dismissed Kindiki’s meetings, claiming Mt Kenya leaders were being bribed to support the government.
