President William Ruto is expected to tour the Mt Kenya region six months after Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s impeachment. The week-long tour, scheduled to begin in the first week of April, will be his first since the bitter political fallout with Gachagua, which is turning the rich-vote Central Kenya region into a new opposition zone. Political analysts view this tour as a strategic move to consolidate his lost support base in the region. Last week, President Ruto’s political allies from the region began grassroots mobilisation in preparation for the visit, with a series of high-level consultations having taken place.

The President met with all elected leaders, including Cabinet Secretaries (CSs) and Principal Secretaries (PSs) from the region at the State House, Nairobi, to plan the tour. Before the President’s meetings, his deputy, Prof. Kithure Kindiki, convened a similar meeting with the elected leaders.

The Mt Kenya bloc comprises registered voters from Kiambu (2,417,735), Murang’a (587,126), Nyeri (456,949), Kirinyaga (349,836), Meru (702,480), Embu (309,468), and Laikipia (246,487). Others include Nyandarua (335,634), Tharaka Nithi (213,154), and Nakuru (949,618).

Since the advent of multiparty democracy in 1990, the region has had a commanding role in Kenya’s politics, besides Nyanza. As a result, the Mt Kenya region has become a political battleground, with President Ruto, his deputy Prof. Kindiki, former President Uhuru Kenyatta, and Mr Gachagua as key players. In 2022, the region was crucial to President Ruto’s victory and his rise to presidency at the time underscores the importance of understanding the electorate’s pulse.

At the time, the “hustler” narrative, which emphasised the empowerment of ordinary Kenyans, particularly those marginalised by the political elite, appealed strongly to the region’s lower-income citizens. Additionally, Dr. Ruto’s focus on economic liberation, job creation, and small business support directly addressed the economic issues that affected a majority of the people around Mt Kenya.

Thorny issues

Ahead of the tour, several leaders from the region say the President should ensure the completion of all stalled projects as he promised during his last visit in September 2024.

Gatanga Constituency Member of Parliament (MP) Edward Muriu said the incomplete status of the projects, including roads, markets and irrigation projects, has sorely affected the region’s residents. “We want to welcome the President to the mountain because we gave him the majority of the votes, but we want him to know that nothing has been happening in our region since he was last here.”

Head of Special Projects and Creative Economy at the Presidency Dennis Itumbi, in a post on X, hinted at what entails President Ruto’s tour. “Construction of roads. The money, the plan, and the massive return of contractors – once again.”   It is expected that the President will showcase some of the multimillion-shilling projects slated for revival in the region and clarify the funding sources to ensure their completion. However, critics of the President have said they have no objection to the visit, provided he guarantees the completion of stalled projects.

As the tour kicks off, pundits argue that the political environment in the region is shaped by a symbiotic relationship between the electorate and their leaders, one that prioritises responsiveness, and delivery of tangible outcomes.