A number of MPs are scheming to abandon their political parties, amid fears of a fresh wave of defections from President William Ruto’s UDA in Mt Kenya.
The Star has established that besides the lawmakers and politicians who have already declared their move to ditch UDA, more are on the way.
Multiple sources intimated that an MP from Embu is among the notable names on the list of those angling to ditch Ruto in the coming weeks.
Two Kiambu MPs were also cited as heading to the UDA exit door, besides Governor Kimani Wamatangi, who has already declared he will not seek re-election on the UDA ticket.
Lamu East MP Muthoni Marubu had already declared she would shift, while Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has quit UDA to join the People’s Party.
Nyandarua Governor Moses Badilisha has also decamped to Gachagua’s DCP.
Over the weekend, Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba threatened that a section of leaders from the region will withdraw their support for Ruto if nominated MP Joseph Wainaina and Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale are not arrested over alleged hate speech utterances.
“We are going to speak, and we are going to demand the arrest of the culprits. If the arrest of Joseph Wainaina and CS Duale is not going to happen in the next three days, some of us who have been supporting William Ruto will walk away when he really needs us," Wamuchomba said.
Some analysts have said the threats could just be an easy exit strategy following Gachagua's wave in Mt Kenya.
It is understood that the defections would either be in favour of Gachagua’s DCP or Ndindi Nyoro’s People’s Party, setting the stage for a battle in the region.
DCP has in recent weeks emerged as a major destination for politicians abandoning UDA, particularly in the Mt Kenya region.
The party has been receiving defectors, especially MCAs, amid claims that some of those bidding for space in DCP have been moonlighting to avert backlash from the administration and their supporters.
Gabriel Kagombe, who publicly announced his defection recently, said there were many lawmakers who were merely biding their time and would move at the right moment.
He said the group was actively engaging the targeted outfits and that the movement would become more prominent in February next year when political parties are expected to submit their membership list to IEBC
“There are many of us. It will be clearer as parties beat deadlines for registration of members in February. But the defections were a long time coming,” he said.
Kagombe said those currently keeping their plans under wraps were doing so because of the political risks associated with openly abandoning the ruling party before the election season gathers pace.
He acknowledged that the defections would face resistance, particularly from politicians and supporters who had already positioned themselves within the parties receiving the new members.
Asked about the hostile reception greeting some of the defectors, Kagombe said that was expected.
“There are people who have already started planning with these parties and they will not simply give way. So there will definitely be resistance,” he said.
The emerging rebellion has also exposed the widening political differences between some Mt Kenya leaders and the Ruto administration.
Nyoro’s People’s Party is also emerging as another possible home for politicians seeking to break away from UDA.
The party leader has so far received more than 57 new leaders who have defected from various parties, with many coming from UDA.
The defections came just days after Nyoro announced his defection from UDA to join the People’s Party.
The speed at which leaders are joining the party has unsettled political players in the region, with supporters of the new outfit presenting the movement as evidence of a political shift.
However, political analyst Stephen Ngari cautioned against interpreting the defections as an automatic win for either of the parties receiving the politicians.
Ngari attributed the movement largely to political panic, saying politicians were trying to secure their positions before the 2027 contest takes shape.
“It is still early to tell whether the defections will have any positive impact on the individuals,” he said.
He warned that DCP would not necessarily be the automatic beneficiary of the movement, arguing that politicians who leave a popular political vehicle must still convince voters that their new parties offer a better alternative.
Some UDA MPs contacted by The Star said the reasons for the defections were varied, including the performance of sitting members and the desire by some politicians to find more secure political ground before the next election.
Othaya MP Wambugu Wainaina said he would remain in UDA and continue supporting Ruto until the end of his presidency.
“I will remain on this route, UDA. And listen to me, I will walk with Ruto up until he exits office so that we are able to develop Othaya,” he said.
“The people of Othaya want development. So I repeat again here. I am not leaving UDA, I will remain to the very end. If we are going home, I am ready to go home with Ruto.”
Mathira MP Eric Wamumbi also dismissed the suggestion that UDA was facing a mass exodus, saying the number of politicians who had left was still small.
“How can three people shifting be called mass defection? Those going away from the Ruto camp may have not just delivered to the people and are looking for flimsy grounds to justify their move,” Wamumbi said.
His remarks reflect the position of a section of UDA MPs who believe the defections have been exaggerated by opponents seeking to create an impression that the ruling party has lost its grip on Mt Kenya.
A group of UDA-allied youths yesterday sought to reinforce that message, warning politicians who had left the party that abandoning Ruto would not guarantee them re-election.
The youths said politicians who had defected to opposition parties should not assume that they would automatically retain their seats simply because they had moved to a new political outfit.
“They should know that just as they have been saying Ruto is one term, so will they be,” the youths said.
Ruto’s relationship with Mt Kenya has come under scrutiny following the political fallout with former Deputy President Gachagua, who has since positioned himself as the region’s king.
For UDA, the challenge is not simply the number of MPs and MCAs leaving but whether the defections could trigger a wider perception that the party is losing its political appeal.
Already, DCP has formed a committee chaired by Nyandarua Senator John Methu to vet politicians seeking to join the party.
The vetting process is expected to determine how the new entrants are accommodated as the party prepares for a major expansion in the region.
For now, UDA leaders insist the party remains strong, while those leaving argue that they are responding to the changing political mood on the ground.
