Signs are emerging of a possible rapprochement between
former President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, a
development that would scuttle his moves to crack the mountain.
While the two leaders from Mt Kenya were bitter rivals in
the run-up to the 2022 election, reports indicate that they have buried the
hatchet and are working together to front a united mountain.
DCP deputy leader Cleophas Malala on Wednesday confirmed the
two leaders have mended fences.
“There is a handshake between Rigathi Gachagua and Uhuru
Kenyatta. They are already working together,” Malala said.
“It is just a matter of time before the official
announcement is made.”
Suggesting the behind-the-scenes engagements have been
ongoing for a while, Malala said the talks led to Uhuru warning then secretary
general Jeremiah Kioni against attacking Gachagua.
“That is why you saw Jeremiah Kioni, who was always abusing
Gachagua, being told to calm down, and he was later replaced. We want to work
together, we don’t want any infighting,” he said.
The vocal Kioni was in recent party changes named deputy
party leader and replaced by Moitalel ole Kenta.
With Mt Kenya having been a decisive vote in Ruto’s 2022
victory, the region remains an important constituency in his re-election bid.
But allegiance in the region has shifted sharply since
Gachagua’s impeachment. A section of leaders and voters have expressed
hostility toward the President, citing betrayal of regional interests.
In an attempt to calm tensions, Ruto in December 2024 made a
visit to Ichaweri, Gatundu, to meet Uhuru at his rural home in what was widely
interpreted as a reconciliation gesture.
Soon after, figures closely associated with Uhuru found
their way into Ruto’s government.
Former Health CS Mutahi Kagwe (Agriculture), ex-Nakuru
Governor Lee Kinyanjui (Trade) and former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo (ICT)
were appointed to the Cabinet, while former Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi
was named chairman of the Kenya Revenue Authority.
The appointments were seen as part of Ruto’s broader
political goodwill toward Uhuru’s political base and an effort to soften
resistance.
However, the anticipated political thaw did not materialise.
Uhuru sustained his criticism of Ruto’s administration, prompting sharp
responses from Kenya Kwanza leaders.
As Ruto sought to repair relations with Uhuru, another, more
unexpected realignment occurred. Uhuru’s pick for running mate to Raila Odinga
in Azimio, Martha Karua, met with Gachagua later in January.
Since then, Gachagua initiated overtures toward Uhuru,
publicly apologising to his former boss and defending him against attacks from
Ruto and, recently, broad-based politicians.
In a recent Sunday service in Uhuru’s backyard of Gatundu,
Gachagua said he and the Jubilee Party leader shared a common position on the
need for regional unity.
At the same time, Gachagua has also softened his stance
toward former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i.
Previously critical of Matiang’i’s decision to use Jubilee
Party, which Gachagua views as encroaching on his DCP influence in Mt Kenya,
the two leaders have recently been seen in frequent meetings and consultations.
The developments point to an emerging alignment of key Mt
Kenya figures.
For Ruto, this emerging axis presents a fresh political
headache.
His earlier strategy appeared to hinge on isolating Gachagua
while rebuilding bridges with Uhuru’s camp through appointments and symbolic
outreach.
However, a potential Uhuru-Gachagua working arrangement
collapses that strategy by bringing together the region’s two most recognisable
political figures.
It also creates the possibility of a united Mt Kenya front
that is neither aligned to Ruto nor fragmented across competing camps.
Such an alignment could significantly reshape the 2027
electoral map.
Malala says with the United Opposition coming together, Ruto
finds himself cornered.
“He has done his arithmetic and it’s not adding up. He sees
that if Mt Kenya votes as a bloc, especially with the Uhuru-Gachagua unity, and
delivers five million, Ukambani comes in with three million, Western, Kisii and
Maa region, he doesn’t stand a chance,” Malala said.
The emerging realignments also complicate Ruto’s broader
national calculations.
With Mt Kenya increasingly uncertain, Ruto is now forced to
lean more heavily on a working arrangement with ODM to compensate for potential
losses in the vote-rich region.
However, with ODM divided, Malala said Nyanza will not save
the situation.
Political commentator Fanya Kinuthia opines that Ruto’s
biggest advantage in 2022 was a largely united Mt Kenya vote behind his ticket,
but he now faces the prospect of the same region consolidating outside his
influence.
Kinuthia noted that the rapprochement is part of the
‘wantam’ movement and that, like in 2002, the opposition is unlikely to be
divided.
