NAIROBI — A surprise reunion between President William Ruto and his predecessor former president and Jubilee Party leader Hon Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta at State House triggered a political debate in Mt Kenya’s political circles, deepening rifts ahead of the 2027 elections. The two presidents, one former and one incumbent were photographed together during a high-level East African Community and SADC consultative meeting on the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The image quickly went viral, prompting reactions from key political figures as the former head of state stamped his influence in the country political space at a crucial stage ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Former Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu was among the first to speak. In a Facebook post published Friday, Wambugu said Uhuru would never allow the Mt Kenya region to be pushed out of national affairs whether by internal or external forces. “There’s no way Uhuru will sit back and watch anyone, from inside or outside the mountain, isolate Mt Kenya from Kenya’s national framework,” Wambugu posted.
Former Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu described the retired president as someone deeply conscious of the region’s role in the country’s political and economic stability. According to Wambugu, Uhuru will continue defending that position.
His comments come amid ongoing political friction between Wambugu and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who was impeached in 2024. The two, once allies in Gachagua’s office, have since become vocal adversaries. Wambugu has consistently questioned Gachagua’s credibility and influence in Mt Kenya politics.
The fallout reflects deeper shifts as political observers noted significant influence in the region allied with Hon Uhuru Kenyatta and figures aligned with former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i. While no formal alliance has been declared, recent movements suggest that a new political axis is emerging.
Wambugu’s remarks echo sentiments expressed by former deputy president and DCP party leader Rigathi Gachagua himself. In a May 2025 interview, Gachagua admitted to misjudging former head of state Hon Uhuru and blamed president Ruto for the breakdown of their relationship.
“Uhuru is my brother. We had a strong bond. I regret that I let Ruto come between us,” DCP party leader Rigathi Gachagua said during an interview.
DCP party leader Gachagua revealed that he initially backed Ruto out of loyalty and perceived fairness, believing that Uhuru’s refusal to endorse Ruto was unjustified. “Today I know differently. Uhuru was right. I had poor judgment,” former deputy president Gachagua said.
Rigathi Gachagua publicly apologized to Jubilee party leader Hon Uhuru and his family for “demeaning and insulting” them during the 2022 campaign. “We punished him for telling us Raila Odinga was a good man. We were wrong,” Rigathi said.
The former deputy president, now politically sidelined, said his focus is on correcting past missteps. “I’m extremely busy trying to undo those mistakes,” Gachagua stated.
His declaration came months after he described Uhuru as “the undisputed king of Mt Kenya,” a sharp turn from his previous combative stance during the last election cycle.
Meanwhile, the official Kenya Gazette dated June 30 confirmed major shakeups in both the Jubilee Party and the Wiper Democratic Movement. The notices revealed planned name changes and leadership reorganizations in line with recent political developments. Jubilee, led by loyalists allied to the Chairman of Jubilee party and chairman of Azimio coalition Hon Uhuru Kenyatta, is realigning its internal structures following High Court orders and a National Delegates Conference held in May 2023.
These institutional adjustments, combined with high-level political gestures like the State House handshake, point to growing recalibrations in the country’s power landscape. As political realignments take shape, Mt Kenya’s central role in national politics is once again in the spotlight. Whether the region unites or remains divided will likely define the momentum heading into 2027 general elections.
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