Ruto steps up Mt Kenya charm offensive ahead of 2027

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President William Ruto has intensified his onslaught in Mt Kenya in a sustained effort to win back political support in the restive region ahead of the 2027 elections.

Barely a week after back-to-back engagements in Nyeri county, President Ruto is on Thursday expected to tour Meru, Tharaka-Nithi and Embu counties, extending his charm offensive to Mt Kenya East.

Ruto will preside over the disbursement of the NYOTA Business Start-Up Capital, a government programme targeting youth and small-scale entrepreneurs, but one that has 2027 undercurrents.

A source aware of the development confirmed that the tour to Nyandarua is in the pipeline, but the date hadn’t been firmed up.

At the same time, Tourism CS Rebecca Miano, who hails from Ndaragwa in Nyandarua county, co-chaired a meeting with Roads CS Davis Chirchir and MPs drawn from the county on Tuesday.

The meeting discussed the state of roads in the county and a blueprint for tackling key development challenges facing the region.

In attendance were Woman Rep Faith Gitau, MPs Michael Muchira (Oljoroorok), George Gachagua (Ndaragwa), Kwenya Thuku (Kinangop), and David Kiarahu (Ol Kalou).

The latest engagements come at a time his former deputy and Democracy for Citizens Party leader Rigathi Gachagua has declared plans to camp in the region for two months in an effort to counter the President’s offensive.

On Tuesday, President Ruto met leaders from Nyandarua county at State House, Nairobi, where he outlined how Nyandarua is also at the centre of his development plan.

“We are transforming our country through many initiatives, including the revamping of agricultural production, universal healthcare, construction of affordable housing, modern markets, hostels, roads, and connection of citizens to electricity and water, among others,” Ruto said.

He named Nyandarua as a key beneficiary of the government’s development drive, noting that affordable housing projects were underway across constituencies, alongside the construction of modern markets in Kwa Haraka, Miharati and Ndaragwa.

Ruto also announced the upgrading and expansion of JM Kariuki Referral Hospital in Ol Kalou, a move aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery in the agriculturally rich but infrastructure-strained county.

“At the same time, Nyandarua University, which admitted the first 190 students in September 2025, is at the centre of our plans,” the President said, adding that the government would upgrade infrastructure at the institution, including the construction of a tuition block and a library.

The meeting was attended by Nyandarua Woman Representative Faith Gitau and MPs Kwenya Thuku (Kinangop), Njuguna Kiaraho (Ol Kalou), George Gachagua (Ndaragwa) and Michael Muchira (Oljororok), underscoring Ruto’s renewed engagement with elected leaders from the region.

Ruto’s outreach to Nyandarua and Mt Kenya East follows closely on the heels of two successive visits to Nyeri county, where he conducted a development tour and held consultations with grassroots leaders.

Political analysts view the successive engagements as a deliberate strategy to reassert his influence in a region that voted for him almost to a man but has turned hostile following the fallout with Gachagua.

“Mt Kenya is a more bankable region than the Nyanza guys, who are tearing each other apart, even when you look at the numbers. While they may not overwhelmingly vote for the President, those who will might be more. You saw Raila almost got one million votes there,” a political analyst currently aligned with the government told the Star.

The intensified visits come at a delicate moment for Gachagua, who has publicly styled himself as the “king of the mountain”, as he has been losing key allies from the region.

Earlier this week, Gachagua announced that he would camp in the region for 60 days - between February and March — holding rallies across counties to consolidate support for his party and counter Ruto’s encroachment.

The DCP leader, who has largely concentrated his activities in the mountain, had held some pre-emptive meetings in Nyeri and Kirinyaga counties ahead of the Ruto tour

He also conducted a three-hour radio interview on Kameme FM, where he accused the President of sidelining and betraying Mt Kenya after the 2022 elections.

However, President Ruto’s allies from the mountain have maintained that the President has been delivering development in the region, while some ex-Gachagua allies, such as Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba, have credited Ruto with road projects in their backyards.

Gitau said Nyandarua County will continue reaping its rightful share from President Ruto 's government.

By anchoring his engagements around housing, healthcare, education and youth enterprise funding, the President appears keen to shift the political contest away from personality-driven rivalry and toward service delivery.