- President William Ruto dismissed allegations of eroding support in Mount Kenya, telling residents of Nyeri that his political ties to the region remain strong.
- Ruto said that leadership is based on policies and results, not songs or threats, warning opponents that slogans will not convince voters
- The President reminded voters that the agenda of his administration, roads, education, agriculture, and health services, was set by the people of Mount Kenya
- Ruto rejected the myth that one person can break long-standing political ties, recalling his years as deputy president under Uhuru Kenyatta
President William Ruto has rejected claims that his political hold in the Mt Kenya area has diminished, suppressing his former deputy, Rigathi Gachagua.
Source: Facebook
The President emphasized that his relationship with the vote-rich area remains strong and that his record in office, not political noise, will determine his fate in the 2027 General Election.
How did Ruto criticize Gachagua, opposition leaders?
Speaking in Nyeri on Monday, January 12, Ruto he ignored the growing message of the opposition that wants to show him as isolated from the region that strongly supported his presidential bid in 2022.
He told residents that propaganda and slogans do not seek years of political cooperation built through participation, trust, and common development goals.
Ruto’s visit came at a time of heightened political activity there Mount Kenyawhere Gachagua has strengthened his campaigns under the Democratic Party for the People (DCP) and the United Opposition.
Gachagua, who hails from Nyeri, has positioned himself as a key figure in the growing opposition coalition, saying Ruto’s support in the region had waned following the poor results.
In his trademark candid speech, Ruto laughed off the claims, saying leadership is not about faces, songs, or threats, but about service delivery.
“I am asking the people of Nyeri again: are people elected based on their faces, or their work? I want to ask this: if a person has no policy, agenda, plan and vision, should that person be elected anywhere? My colleagues who I am running against have no agenda, no plan, no vision, and are even meaningless,” Ruto said.
He accused his opponents of relying on slogans such as “Wantam” and “Kasongo must go,” saying such rhetoric was designed to distract Kenyans from the real work of governance.
According to him, attempts to intimidate him through political songs will not succeed, telling critics to find someone else to intimidate.
Did Ruto forget Mount Kenya immediately after the 2022 general election?
Ruto reminded the crowd that his presidency depended on the support of Mount Kenya voters, making it impossible, in his view, for anyone to suggest that he would leave the region.
He framed the 2027 election as a referendum on implementation, insisting that voters themselves had set the agenda for his administration.
“For me to be your president, weren’t you the ones who voted for me? Do you think I would be stupid enough to leave the people who voted for me and look for stupid people? And I understand this very well: you are the ones who will choose. You will evaluate everyone according to the work you gave them. You gave me the road and told me to organize education, agriculture and health care. I will come here and explain the work I did, and you will be the ones who will judge me,” he said.
The president also wanted to change the narrative about his conflict with Gachagua, rejecting suggestions that one person could break the political relationship established over many years.
Source: Facebook
He recalled his time as vice president under the former president Uhuru Kenyattasaying his frequent visits to Mount Kenya during that period laid the foundation for a lasting relationship with the area.
“I will deal with these people. They should stop playing games. There are people going around saying they carried Ruto on their backs and brought him here, and all kinds of things. I want to ask you this: the friendship we built with you, wasn’t I Uhuru Kenyatta’s deputy? Didn’t I come here many times when Uhuru sent me? Didn’t we build a relationship? And now that friendship has to be destroyed by one person? No. No. That will not happen,” Ruto said.
Did Kahiga escape Gachagua and run to Ruto’s camp?
Elsewhere, Gachagua faced a setback in consolidating Mt Kenya’s support ahead of the 2027 General Election after Nyeri governor Mutahi Kahiga hosted Ruto at ACK St Paul’s Church in Kariki, Othaya.
Kahiga insisted that he remained a fully paid-up UDA member and defended his presence at Ruto’s event.
He noted that he voted for Ruto, respected him as president, and would continue to cooperate with the national government.
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