Gachagua accuses Ruto of using smaller ‘wheelbarrow parties’ to split Mt Kenya vote

Rigathi Gachagua, former Deputy President, has accused President William Ruto of attempting to split the Mount Kenya region's vote using newly formed political parties. Gachagua claimed that Ruto was employing a strategy to divide the nearly eight million votes in the region, aiming to weaken its political influence and force the presidential election into a runoff.

Speaking during a church service in Karatina, Nyeri County, Gachagua asserted that this strategy was pursued by creating divisions within Mount Kenya, forcing a runoff, and then seeking support from eliminated candidates in the first round. He described the emerging political parties as "wheelbarrows," intended to divert votes away from the broader Mount Kenya bloc.

Gachagua noted that Ruto's advisers had suggested the strategy due to opposition against his administration nationwide. The former deputy president also stated that his efforts to keep Mount Kenya united received support from elders in Embu, despite attempts by Ruto's allies to divide the region. Gachagua outlined the expanded definition of the Mount Kenya political bloc, which now includes Mount Kenya South, Mount Kenya North, and Mount Kenya East, with support extending beyond traditional boundaries to include regions like Lower Eastern, Wakamba, Wataita, Wataveta, and even Mombasa.