Analysts say the formation of Gachagua's Democracy for the Citizens Party has created a new centre of gravity within the region, which played a decisive role in the 2022 poll.
Political expert Alenga Torosterdt told The Africa Report that it is over for Ruto in Mt Kenya, and that voters are likely to shift toward Gachagua's party, complicating the president's re-election prospects.
Since his fallout with Ruto, Gachagua has cast himself as the region's chief mobiliser, rallying leaders and opinion shapers under a narrative of political and economic marginalisation.
His outreach to Kenyatta — once unthinkable — signals a strategic reset aimed at uniting the region under a broader political umbrella.
President Ruto has taken his political fight directly to Mt Kenya, using development projects and local allies in a move designed to outplay Gachagua.
In 2022, Ruto secured 87 percent of his votes from the region, and he appears determined to prove he can do it again.
Gachagua has accused Ruto of using Deputy President Kithure Kindiki to politically divide Mt Kenya into East and West — a charge he described as an exercise in futility. He warned that such schemes would not succeed in fragmenting the mountain's political cohesion.
Battle For Mount Kenya President William Ruto has taken his political charm offensive to the vote-rich Mount Kenya region, a bloc that overwhelmingly backed him in the 2022 general election but where
Political analyst Brian Wanyama warned that Gachagua faces an uphill battle to expand his appeal beyond his ethnic base, saying he must step out of his comfort zone and build national support. Without that, he risks being seen as championing narrow regional interests.
As 2027 draws nearer, the mountain's vote remains the most contested and most valuable prize in Kenyan politics. Whoever wins it could well win the presidency.
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