President William Ruto speaking during the National Industrial Training Authority graduation ceremony at State House in Nairobi, October 8, 2026 /SCREENGRAB
President William Ruto’s allies in Mt Kenya are playing down a growing wave of defections from the ruling UDA, insisting the departures will not derail his reelection bid in 2027.
The assurances come in the wake of prominent leaders abandoning the President’s camp or signaling plans to seek alternative political homes.
The developments have exposed the difficulties facing UDA as it seeks to rebuild support in a region that overwhelmingly backed Ruto in 2022.
The head of state’s allies, however, disagree with the conclusions that the ruling party faces imminent mass exits.
Mathira MP Eric Wamumbi said the anticipated mass exodus from the ruling party had not materialised, describing the movement of politicians between parties as normal during an election cycle.
“We are not worried at all. If you look at how it was hyped that there would be mass exodus, we are yet to see that. People have not gone that way,” Wamumbi said.
“One or two will automatically go, but not to the extent we were told. People expected mass exodus which has not happened. And even so, this is the season that people move. The window of movement is open.”
Nyeri Town MP Duncan Mathenge also dismissed the defections as individual decisions that should not be interpreted as a broader revolt against the President.
“At this point in time, I have only seen [Githunguri MP Gathoni] Wamuchomba, but even then, she had defected and came back. It is not a yardstick or an indicator that there is movement,” he said.
Mathenge said that no political formation was immune to defections, pointing to the movement of politicians across both government and opposition parties.
“Movement from one party to another is normal in politics. Sifuna left ODM for The Equitable Party, is that a defection? When Kalonzo left Azimio and formed Ukombozi. The movement is not the preserve or worry of any political party,” he said.
“This is just the beginning of that season. There is going to be movement across the political terrain. A good number of PPK [People’s Party of Kenya] defectors were from DCP [Democracy for Citizens Party]. No party on either side, be it opposition or government, is immune.”
Mwea MP Mary Maingi said politicians who had delivered on their promises to constituents had little reason to fear the political wave, arguing that parties were merely vehicles for seeking elective office.
“Anyone without a stand is a person who can fall for anything. There is no cause for alarm. A party is a vehicle to take where you are going. As long as you have worked for your people, you will not be shaken by the wave,” she said.
But the confidence expressed by the President’s allies is being tested by a string of departures involving leaders who were previously associated with his political camp.
On Friday, Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja, popularly known as Keroche, defected from UDA to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s DCP, declaring that she would challenge Governor Susan Kihika in 2027.
Her move came a day after Wamuchomba announced that she would neither support nor campaign for Ruto nor defend her seat on a UDA ticket.
Karanja said her decision followed consultations with voters who, she claimed, felt betrayed by the government they had helped elect.
“I want to tell my party leader, I have listened to the ground and the people have told me they had a lot of expectations from this government. They woke up early to vote for this government but they haven’t what they were promised,” she said.
“I know very well that you people are my employers. You are my bosses. Even if I went to the Senate, my party leader knows very well who employed me. It is you people who employed me.”
Karanja said she had concluded that switching to DCP offered her the best chance of defeating Kihika in the gubernatorial race.
Her decision adds a new dimension to the political contest in Nakuru, where Gachagua is seeking to expand his influence while challenging the President’s grip on the region.
Wamuchomba, meanwhile, is again searching for a political home after previously moving from Gachagua’s camp to the government side.
She now accuses UDA of failing to listen to Kenyans and despising some communities.
Her latest position follows the August defection of Gatundu North MP George Kagombe, popularly known as GG Kagombe, to DCP.
The departures have exposed the difficulties facing politicians who switched allegiance after Gachagua’s impeachment and are now reassessing their positions as the political mood shifts.
Juja MP George Koimburi, another former Gachagua ally who moved towards the government, has also recently signalled discontent with the ruling party.
Several other politicians are weighing their options.
Two MPs from Mt Kenya and Nakuru have signalled their intention to leave the President’s camp, while other influential leaders are exploring alternatives.
Nyandarua Governor Kiarie Badilisha and Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata have joined DCP.
Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga and Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi have indicated that they will announce their next political moves in due time.
Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has also established a separate political vehicle, the PPK, potentially offering another option to politicians seeking distance from UDA.
In what could be an interesting twist, the competing formations could complicate Gachagua’s efforts to consolidate the region behind DCP, even as they provide disgruntled state allies with alternative platforms.
Pundits say that for UDA, the challenge is not simply to retain MPs and governors, but to restore its relationship with voters following the fallout between Ruto and Gachagua.
Lawyer Kibe Mungai said the movement away from the ruling party could intensify over the coming months, arguing that political leaders are responding to growing public dissatisfaction.
“We have a situation in the country where, if you listen or care to listen to the people, you can clearly see people are moving away from UDA,” Mungai said.
“ODM is dying, and you will have it that the growth parties will likely be Linda Mwananchi and DCP.”
Mungai warned that the next two to three months could see a significant number of defections as politicians settle on the parties they believe will offer them the best chance of winning in 2027.
Ruto’s political standing in the Mt Kenya region deteriorated after Gachagua’s impeachment in October 2024.
Since then, the former DP has positioned himself as a leading critic of the administration, accusing Ruto of betraying the community that overwhelmingly backed him in the last election.
The government has responded with development projects, infrastructure investments and efforts to strengthen DP Kithure Kindiki’s regional standing.
But the latest defections suggest that development spending and political appointments may not be enough to settle the contest over Mt Kenya’s leadership.
The stakes are particularly high because politicians who previously shifted from Gachagua’s camp to the government are also appearing to be making other moves.
