Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has intensified his criticism of President William Ruto, accusing him of bankrolling proxy parties in the Mt Kenya region. He warned the strategy was meant to divide the community ahead of the 2027 General Election.
During a Sunday interview on September 21, Gachagua pointed at former Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria’s Chama Cha Kazi (CCK). He claimed the outfit was receiving financial backing from Ruto to destabilize political unity in Mbeere North constituency.
The Democracy for Citizens Party leader urged Mbeere North residents to reject the CCK candidate in the coming by-election. He insisted the party’s agenda was not community-driven but purely designed to serve the president’s personal political ambitions.
Gachagua cautioned that Mt Kenya must remain alert to what he described as “proxy parties.” According to him, their objective is to fragment voter support, allowing Ruto to consolidate power while weakening the mountain’s bargaining position in national politics.
He alleged that Murang’a county had already been infiltrated by two such proxy outfits. He further suggested Kiambu and Kirinyaga were facing similar threats, underscoring a deliberate and coordinated attempt to scatter the region’s traditionally united electoral base.
The former deputy president also accused Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri and ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo of being Ruto’s political surrogates. He likened them to “wheelbarrows,” suggesting they willingly advanced the president’s broader electoral schemes in Mt Kenya.
“Ruto has several wheelbarrows in the mountain,” Gachagua asserted. “Kiunjuri is a wheelbarrow, Kabogo is a wheelbarrow. He has many wheelbarrows in Murang’a, Kiambu, Kirinyaga, and even Kuria’s party, all aimed at dividing our votes.”
He argued that the proliferation of such parties directly threatened Mt Kenya’s unity. By splintering the vote, Gachagua said, the region would lose its ability to negotiate collectively and risk being sidelined in the country’s future political arrangements.
The remarks highlight escalating tension between Gachagua and Ruto, who have increasingly clashed over Mt Kenya’s political direction. With the 2027 General Election looming, the rivalry signals a turbulent and uncertain road ahead for the region’s leadership.
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