Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has declared that the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) is clawing back lost ground in Mt. Kenya, with rebel leaders who abandoned the party now retreating to the fold.
Speaking during a high-stakes luncheon with party polling station leaders at her Kianyaga residence on Friday, Waiguru claimed the ruling party’s aggressive grassroots mobilization campaign is finally paying dividends in the politically volatile region.
“The ongoing effort to consolidate the party’s grassroots support is bearing fruit,” Waiguru told the gathering, which saw even previously lukewarm county assembly members publicly pledge allegiance to UDA and President William Ruto’s 2027 re-election bid.
The governor, who has emerged as one of Ruto’s key point persons in the Mount Kenya region, issued a stark warning that the area has no business flirting with the opposition.
“The region has no place in opposition,” Waiguru declared, vowing to ensure residents “speak in one voice” ahead of the next general election.
The luncheon, which brought together polling station officials and Members of County Assembly, marked a significant show of force for UDA in Kirinyaga, a county that has witnessed growing discontent with the Kenya Kwanza administration over economic hardships and unfulfilled campaign promises.
Several MCAs who had previously maintained a studied distance from the party used the platform to publicly declare their support, signaling what Waiguru presented as a political realignment in her favor.
The timing of the event is crucial, coming amid intensifying jostling for Mt. Kenya’s political soul, with various leaders positioning themselves as the region’s kingpins in Ruto’s succession matrix.
Waiguru’s assertion that defectors are returning to UDA contradicts the narrative pushed by opposition figures and some Kenya Kwanza rebels who claim the region is increasingly disenchanted with Ruto’s presidency.
The governor’s aggressive stance appears designed to counter Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and other regional power brokers who have been mobilizing their own political bases, creating multiple competing power centers in the President’s own backyard.
Whether Waiguru’s optimistic assessment reflects genuine political momentum or wishful thinking remains to be seen, but her bold declaration that Mt. Kenya has “no place in opposition” will undoubtedly intensify the region’s already heated political discourse.
As the 2027 elections draw closer, the battle for Mt. Kenya’s estimated four million votes is shaping up to be the defining contest in Kenyan politics, with Waiguru now firmly planting her flag in Ruto’s corner.
