The number of politicians decamping from the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in the Mt Kenya region is growing, with Kieni MP Njoroge Wainaina becoming the latest leader to abandon the party as political realignments ahead of the 2027 General Election gather pace.
Wainaina, who was elected on a UDA ticket in 2022, announced on Saturday that he had left the ruling party and joined the Ufanisi Kenya Party.
Speaking during a meeting in his Kieni constituency in Nyeri County, Wainaina said his decision was informed by the need for the region to chart its own political path.
“Because of the grace of God, and because we have severally been reminded that we went to a wedding with someone else’s vehicle, I have formed my 504. It will carry all the residents of Kieni. This is Ufanisi Kenya Party,” Wainaina said.
He added: “Kieni can also produce good things.”
Wainaina described himself as the second known party leader in Nyeri County after former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who has since established the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP).
“I am the second known party leader in Nyeri county after Rigathi Gachagua,” he said.
Wainaina, however, sought to portray Ufanisi as a national rather than a regional political vehicle, saying it was open to leaders and voters from across the country.
“It is not made for Nyeri only; it is a national party open for anyone to join,” he said.
His departure adds to a growing list of Mt Kenya politicians who have either formally quit UDA or publicly distanced themselves from the ruling party.
Among them are Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata, who has formally distanced himself from UDA, and Nyandarua Governor Kiarie Badilisha, who left the party and joined Gachagua’s DCP.
Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi has also publicly distanced himself from UDA, saying he would contest the 2027 election on whatever political platform Kiambu residents prefer.
Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja has announced her departure from UDA and plans to contest the Nakuru gubernatorial race on a DCP ticket.
Several MPs have also shifted their political positions.
Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba has announced her departure from UDA, while Gatundu South MP Gabriel Kagombe left the party citing growing public hostility towards the ruling party in the region.
Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has also shifted his political footing away from the immediate UDA framework, aligning with alternative platforms such as the People’s Party of Kenya (PPK) while voicing broader political ambitions.
The defections point to a fluid political landscape in Mt Kenya, where competing parties and alliances are positioning themselves for the 2027 contest.
