Ruto’s Mt. Kenya tour attract mixed reactions amid claims of Mungiki mobilisation
The planned five days’ tour by President William Ruto in the restive but vote rich Mount Kenya region, first of its kind since August 2024, three months before the October fallout with his former impeached deputy Rigathi Gachagua has attracted mixed reactions including attendants mobilisation and alleged resurgence of the outlawed Mungiki sect.
At the same time, leaders allied to Gachagua have dismissed the president’s tour as empty political rhetoric but Ruto’s allies have defended the visit as development tour oriented and not a political series of events.
Commenting on the planned tour, Gachagua has urged Mt. Kenya residents to demand hefty payments from mobilizers arguing that the visit is politically motivated.
Speaking on Saturday, March 29, 2025 at the Consecration and Installation Ceremony of Reverend Harrison Munyua at Redeemed Church in Naivasha, Nakuru County, Gachagua claimed that Ruto’s visit would bring no tangible benefits to the region and urged locals to take advantage of the money offered for mobilization.
He advised them to ensure they are well compensated for attending the events.
Gachagua asked the people of Mt. Kenya region to ask for hefty price from the tour of President Ruto urging them to ensure that the mobilizers pay them handsomely to show up at the tour.
The former DP has added that the president is set to tour the vote-rich region with a lot of money to lure the residents of the region warning them to use that money and not to keep it.
He also said that President Ruto won’t bring anything of substance to the region except lies.
“If you are going to listen to the lies,ask for a hefty price because lies are a bad thing. Do not accept less money to listen to the lies. President Ruto got your finances in order and brought the money because we elected you for free, the former DP said.”
On the Military Interference with the sovereignty of the Kenyan people, the former DP has asked the Chief of Defense Forces General Charles Kahariri to keep off from the political engagement and to stay out of politics days after his warning over ‘Ruto Must Go’ chants.
The former DP has advised Kahariri and instructed him to “go back to the barracks” and steer clear of politics.
In the same breath, Gachagua corrected Kahariri noting that it was a clarion call in preparation for the upcoming 2027 general elections.
On the issue of police intimidations, Gachagua has hit out at the government for using the police force to manage politics urging the police to stop being used because they share the same challenges with the people.
Meanwhile, leaders allied with President William Ruto have criticized former DP Rigathi Gachagua over his remarks, saying they are meant to turn the public against the president.
“We want to tell Gachagua to leave the President alone. You can’t keep saying he is a one-term President, yet you also did not finish half a term. Ruto will be elected for a second term,” Nandi governor Nandi Sang’ stated over the weekend.
The alleged involvement of the former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga in political mobilisation in favour of government has sent shockwaves in the Central Kenya region and attracted widespread condemnation from leaders.
The Mungiki sect has in the past been linked to atrocious murders, extortion and also political mobilisation.
There are claims of widespread mobilization of the sect gang memmbers in Nairobi, Ruai and in counties of the larger Mt. Kenya region
The president’s tour in the region comes six months after the first time, which was slippery after the impeachment of Gachagua.
Ruto will begin his itinerary in Laikipia, then Nyeri, Meru, Kirinyaga, Nyandarua, Murang’a, Embu, Tharaka-Nithi, and later finalise in Kiambu.
He is set to commission various projects as he launches others, including road infrastructure, affordable housing, fresh produce markets, last-mile electricity connectivity, water, and irrigation.
