Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki has pitched camp in the Mt. Kenya region after it emerged that in just 58 days, he has held 15 political meetings there.
From March 1, 2026 to April 27, 2026, Prof. Kindiki organized 15 meetings in the eastern Mt. Kenya zone, in what is seen as an attempt to outshine former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in popularity.
According to Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku, the eastern Mt. Kenya region must decide its political future ahead of the 2027 elections.
“For many years, we have followed our colleagues from western Mt. Kenya. We hunt together, but they are the ones who eat. Mt. Kenya does not have to remain united,” said Ruku.
“If Mr. Gachagua remains in the picture, we shall divide Mt. Kenya, and those of us from the East will no longer follow him,” he added in an interview with a vernacular TV station.
The minister revealed plans to create a smaller “mountain bloc” with about 1.5 million votes, whose political leader would be Prof. Kindiki.
This smaller bloc would include the counties of Meru, Tharaka-Nithi, Embu, and parts of Kirinyaga County.
Although Prof. Kindiki has publicly called for the entire Mt. Kenya region to unite behind President Ruto, he has continued holding numerous meetings in eastern Mt. Kenya, signaling an effort to position himself as the region’s political kingpin.
However, Manyatta MP Gitonga Mukunji says 80 percent of residents in eastern Mt. Kenya will not fall into the trap of separating themselves from western Mt. Kenya.
On Sunday, Prof. Kindiki hosted President Ruto in Tharaka-Nithi County, where the two addressed a political rally in Chuka town.
“My deputy is a clever politician, hardworking, and easy to work with,” said President Ruto, in remarks interpreted as hinting that he may support Prof. Kindiki for the presidency in 2032.
While Prof. Kindiki seeks support that could help President William Ruto secure many votes from the region—and possibly retain him as running mate—Mr. Gachagua is reportedly working to use his influence to deny the President votes there.
According to political analyst Malila Munywoki, Prof. Kindiki should focus on uniting Mt. Kenya rather than appearing to seek support only from western Mt. Kenya voters.
“Votes from western Mt. Kenya will be split, and he cannot get all 1.5 million of them. He may win Tharaka-Nithi, but it will be difficult for him in Embu, Meru, and Kirinyaga. If he calculates poorly, he may remain with only 500,000 votes,” said Munywoki, insisting those numbers would not be enough to make him Ruto’s running mate.
The analyst advised Prof. Kindiki to face Mr. Gachagua directly in order to boost his popularity.
“We want to see him in western Mt. Kenya counties like Murang’a, Kiambu, Kirinyaga, and Nyeri. We want to see him visiting Gachagua’s strongholds and holding political rallies instead of hiding only in areas where he already seems to have support,” he added.
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