Running mate headache: Inside alleged plot to split Mt Kenya, puncture Gachagua

The scramble for the position of Deputy President is gaining momentum, with more political leaders, particularly from the Mt Kenya region, signalling interest in becoming President William Ruto’s running mate in the 2027 General Election.

The contest is unfolding as leaders position themselves ahead of the polls, raising questions about whether Ruto will retain incumbent Deputy President Kithure Kindiki or choose another candidate from his political camp.

Kindiki  has repeatedly insisted that his position is not up for grabs in Ruto’s re-election bid, warning those seeking to dislodge him to prepare for a bruising political contest.

“I am the Deputy President of Kenya and that seat is not going anywhere. I will not be intimidated. Let us desist from politics of division, the time for politics is coming. A good politician knows when to speak,” he said.

“I am the fireman, and now, by the grace of God, the Deputy President of Kenya. Do you think there is anybody who can remove me from this seat and chase me away? It is not possible. I will defend myself. I cannot simply be chased away,” he previously stated.

But the emerging contest is taking shape against a backdrop of accusations that the government is seeking to weaken former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s influence in Mt Kenya by encouraging political fragmentation.

Critics argue that the efforts range from the emergence of multiple political parties, which they say could dilute the influence of Gachagua’s Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), to the growing list of leaders from the region being touted as potential running mates for Ruto.

Months ago, the region also witnessed attempts to distinguish between Mt Kenya East and West, spearheaded by Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku. The initiative did not materialise, but critics viewed it as another attempt to weaken Gachagua’s influence.

The latest entrant in the race for the Deputy President’s position is Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, who will have completed her two constitutional terms as governor by next year and is signalling a shift towards national politics.

Speaking at the G7 Women’s Leadership Forum this week, Waiguru urged women to unite, challenge the status quo and claim space at the highest levels of leadership.

“As women leaders, we recognize the gains we fought for are fragile. We resolved to support each other, believe in ourselves, amplify one another’s voices, until women leadership is the standard, not the exception. 2027 starts now,” she said.

Waiguru said she was  preparing to join the national leadership arena and was no longer interested in county politics. She argued that the government would perform better if more women were represented at decision-making tables.

“I said that I will now be speaking because what do I have to lose anyway? What is the worst that can happen? We have to pull together and fight for it. We must sit down and strategize,” she said.

Waiguru said she was pushing for a seat at the national decision-making table and was prepared to pursue the Deputy President’s position.

“You shoot for the stars you land, maybe on the moon. You do not shoot anywhere and land nowhere, I am at the danger of extinction because I have done two terms. If I dare play around, I might slip and end up nowhere. I want to assure that Anne Mumbi Waiguru will be on the ballot for the presidency in 2032,” she affirmed.

Waiguru’s declaration adds to the growing list of leaders from Mt Kenya seeking a bigger role in national politics, with Ndia MP George Kariuki, popularly known as GK, also declaring interest in becoming Ruto’s running mate.

Kariuki has criticised the process through which the ruling coalition selected its previous running mates, arguing that the decision should be made by voters rather than political leaders in closed-door meetings.

He said the selection of Gachagua as Ruto’s running mate in 2022 was made in a boardroom, before the relationship between the two deteriorated and Gachagua was impeached.

A similar process was used in 2024 when Kindiki was selected to replace Gachagua. Kariuki now wants the party to adopt a more open process ahead of the 2027 election.

“We do not want the decision to be made in the boardroom. We want the people to decide who will be the running mate of Ruto. If the people decide that Kindiki continues, that will be fine. If they settle on GK, I even heard Waiguru announced it and Kirinyaga will have two aspirants of that position, that will be okay let the people decide. We do not want to slide again,” he said at Ndaraca grounds in Juja earlier in the week.

According to Kariuki, Kindiki’s appointment was intended to cover the period leading up to the 2027 election, after which Ruto, with the support of Kenyans, would decide who was best suited for the position.

“The President is working hard to secure a second term and he will have competitors so I want to tell Kindiki to also not to have problem about having an opponent. Let us open this space, we hold a discussion and people can scrutinize who is best. We want a charismatic leader, the Prof should not have a problem, lets us put our plans on the table,” he said.

Kariuki urged leaders in the ruling political formation to open up all positions to competition as part of promoting internal democracy, rather than limiting the contest to the Deputy President’s position.

He said he was qualified for the role academically, noting that he holds two master’s degrees, and expressed confidence that he could secure the position.

Mt Kenya party politics

The contest for political influence in Mt Kenya is also playing out through the formation of several parties, which critics say could fragment the region’s voting bloc.

Nyandarua Senator John Methu has alleged sustained efforts to divide Mt Kenya’s political base and prevent it from voting as a united bloc.

Methu said he had been approached and urged to leave DCP to establish his own political outfit, with a promise of Sh10 million a week and the prospect of eventually becoming Ruto’s running mate.

In a televised interview, Methu said Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro was among the people he suspected could be working against the opposition, adding that he had previously had to defend himself against such claims.

Methu recounted an incident after the Ol Kalou by-election, when an unnamed government official allegedly invited him to a meeting to congratulate him on DCP securing its first elective seat.

“The person, who is in government, told me he had a message for me and I went. He told me that Gachagua has a case in court and therefore he will not run. You (Methu) have made yourself a name from Ol Kalou and the next person from Gachagua is yourself,” Methu said in a televised interview.

“You cannot wait to be made a ‘king’, you have to grab this thing and we want to help you to grab it. The only other person who can hold a meeting anywhere in Mt Kenya and get general acceptability is yourself but you cannot grow when you are in Gachagua’s party,” Methu said he was informed.

According to Methu, the official advised him to establish his own party, which would allow him to participate as an equal partner in the united opposition.

He alleged that financial incentives were offered to help launch the party, including Sh10 million a week to advance its agenda. He was also promised swift registration, support from aspirants and donations of materials to help establish the political outfit.

“We will then be fighting the party so that you can look like an opposition person, we will not be working like we are together and we will raise your profile. This will be a pilot and if it works, we can converge at the tail end and you can become Ruto’s running mate,” he said.

“I could not believe my ears. I listened to that story but said I did not have any other ambition other than being Senator in 2027. I have no intention of becoming a party leader now, I’m just 35 years old. I have a huge political life ahead,” Methu added.

He said he first informed Gachagua about the alleged approach before telling Nyoro, whom he regarded as a personal friend.

According to Methu, Nyoro dismissed the proposed arrangement, arguing that the formation of more parties would divide Mt Kenya’s votes. Methu said Nyoro warned that the government was uncomfortable with the prospect of the region acting as a united political bloc.

“He (Nyoro) told me that, despite the fact that they may reach out to all of us, we must all refrain from forming parties because we will be splitting our votes. Ruto does not want, say 100 MPs, from Mt Kenya to be from one party because in the unlikely event he was to win, he would not have his way,” Methu narrated.

Methu claimed that he was therefore surprised when Nyoro established his own political party, the People’s Party of Kenya (PPK). He also alleged that Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata had told him that the same people had approached him about forming a party.

“When I heard him say he had his own party, I could not believe my ears because that was not the discussion we had. That is not the discussion we had, he had told me that another party is a creation of Ruto. Murang’a Governor, Irungu Kang’ata also told me the same people had approached him to form a party,” Methu said.

Nyoro has dismissed Methu’s claims and cautioned against labelling opposition politicians as government projects or proxies without sufficient grounds. He has urged the opposition to respect its members rather than engage in personal attacks.

As he builds the PPK, Nyoro has acknowledged that his previous relationship with Ruto and the ruling party could lead to him being misjudged.

“The first decision to make is to come together and strategize so that we can beat Ruto next year in the first round. We need to have a clear mind and strategize so that we don’t waste time like it happened with Kenya Kwanza... Ruto seemed not ready. We lost the first two years with a lot of ‘trial and error’ and that is what we want to avoid,” Nyoro said.

Gachagua warns against vote splitting

Gachagua has also accused Ruto of seeking to divide Mt Kenya politically, urging residents to remain united and focus on changing the country’s leadership in the 2027 election.

“Let’s stay focused. Together, we shall usher in a new dispensation and make our country a better place to live. We continue to build a strong party that will stand the test of time and build a better Kenya now and in future,” Gachagua has reiterated.

The former Deputy President has also accused the government of encouraging the formation of smaller parties, which he has dismissed as “wheelbarrow parties”, to split the Mt Kenya vote.

He has alleged that Ruto is using Kindiki and Ruku to divide the region politically.

"He (Ruto) is forming parties in Mt Kenya to divide our votes. Don't fall for it," he cautioned.

With Waiguru, Kariuki and other leaders signalling interest in national leadership, the contest for Ruto’s running mate is likely to become an increasingly prominent feature of Mt Kenya politics as the 2027 General Election approaches. Whether the ruling camp retains Kindiki or opens the contest to other aspirants remains a key question in the region’s shifting political calculations.