Sunday 22nd February, 2026 02:04 PM|
Githunguri Member of Parliament (MP) Gathoni Wamuchomba has claimed that President William Ruto is steadily regaining his political grip in the Mt Kenya region.
Taking to her official X account on Sunday, February 22, 2026, Wamuchomba cited ongoing infrastructure projects in the region and what she described as renewed grassroots support.
She said the president’s development agenda is reshaping public perception across the mountain.
“I am happy that President Ruto is regaining his political grip in the mountain. And looking at the infrastructural developments underway, some constituencies have become construction sites. Watu wa Mlima wana enzi maendeleo,” Wamuchomba stated.
Wamuchomba further appeared to take a swipe at former Deputy President and Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua, whom she says previously claimed that the President could not secure Mt Kenya votes without his backing.
“Yule wa ‘Rais hawezi pata kura ya mlima bila mimi’ anatype aki delete. Siasa ni ground. Githunguri iko tick,” she remarked.
Ruto’s Mt Kenya influence
Wamuchomba’s remarks come a month after Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu openly challenged President Ruto to hold an impromptu public rally in the heart of the region to prove claims that he has politically reclaimed the mountain.
Speaking during an interview on a local TV station on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, Nyutu dismissed recent charm offensive assertions by the State House that Ruto’s influence in the region remains unshaken, daring him to test his popularity without the trappings of a state-organised event.
“You know I’m on record for daring Ruto to come to places like Kenol or even Mukuyu town and hold an impromptu meeting. If he is sure that he has regained the mountain, then we see how many people are going to attend,” he stated.
The senator further questioned the authenticity of crowds that have turned up during the president’s church visits and development tours, arguing that numbers alone do not reflect genuine political support.
“The president will never lack numbers because he pays for them,” Nyutu claimed.
Ruto courts Mt Kenya
President Ruto has been leading a renewed push to consolidate support in Mt Kenya amid growing resistance led by Gachagua.
The head of state has previously dismissed attempts by Gachagua and his allies to undermine his political standing in the vote-rich region, insisting that his bond with Mt Kenya residents remains firm.
Speaking on January 12, 2026, during a Sunday service at ACK St Paul’s Church Kariki in Othaya, Nyeri County, Gachagua’s home turf, Ruto said efforts to weaken his support through what he termed petty politics, falsehood, and noise were futile.
“The friendship that we have built has a foundation. Some think they can bring petty politics and noise to destroy the foundation that we built. That is not possible,” Ruto said.
