Kenya, July 2 -- Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has issued a bold challenge to President William Ruto, vowing to rally eight million voters from the Mount Kenya region to "send him home" in the 2027 General Election.

Speaking at a funeral in Nyandarua on July 1, 2025, Gachagua claimed credit for mobilising four million votes from the region to secure Ruto's presidency in 2022 but now accuses the president of betraying the region's trust.

"William Ruto, I mobilised 4 million people from Mt Kenya to make you president, and I will mobilise 8 million to send you home," Gachagua declared.

Gachagua's remarks come amid a deepening rift with Ruto, following his impeachment in October 2024, which he alleges was orchestrated by the president to sideline him.

The former deputy president, now leading the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), accused Ruto of using divisive tactics to undermine Mount Kenya's unity, referencing the 2022 campaign where Ruto portrayed former President Uhuru Kenyatta as ineffective in winning the region's support.

"You came to us with a Bible, called Uhuru a drunkard and lazy, and told us to reject him. We followed you, but we're not foolish anymore," Gachagua said, warning that such strategies would fail in 2027.

The Mount Kenya region, comprising 10 counties and home to the Kikuyu, Embu, and Meru communities, delivered 3.5 million of Ruto's 7.1 million votes in 2022, largely due to Gachagua's influence as his running mate.

Political analyst Peter Njau from Limuru suggested that Gachagua's influence could lead to defections from Ruto's camp, predicting a shift in the region's political allegiance.

However, former Mukurweini MP Kabando wa Kabando claimed that 95% of Mount Kenya voters who backed Ruto in 2022 now support Gachagua, signalling a significant erosion of the president's base.

As Gachagua tours Meru to promote his DCP, his call for unity and strategic voting shows a high-stakes battle for Mount Kenya's pivotal voter bloc ahead of 2027.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Bana Kenya.