Fresh divisions have emerged within the Mt Kenya region after Meru Woman Representative aspirant Beatrice Karwitha warned that the political bloc could split into Mt Kenya East and Mt Kenya West if leaders from the Kikuyu community fail to support Deputy President Kithure Kindiki in the 2027 General Election.
Karwitha who is a staunch supporter of DP Prof. Kindiki said communities in Mt Kenya East, comprising Meru, Embu and Tharaka Nithi counties, have remained loyal to Kikuyu leaders for decades and deserve similar support now that Kindiki occupies the country’s second highest office.
“We remained loyal to the Kikuyu during the reigns of founding President Jomo Kenyatta, former President Mwai Kibaki and former President Uhuru Kenyatta. We also supported Rigathi Gachagua when he was DP.
When we are voting you, the mountain is united, but after voting the mountain becomes bulky. If they don’t support Kindiki, the mountain will break,” she said.
She described Kindiki as a leader with no record of corruption or misuse of public resources and urged Mt Kenya leaders to rally behind him.
Karwitha’s remarks came amid an escalating debate sparked by Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku, who recently suggested that Mt Kenya East could chart its own political path if the region failed to support Kindiki.
“I want to categorically state that Merians are not Kikuyus. Mt Kenya East had Mau Mau generals and their blood also brought in this country. Time has come we divorce as a mountain. You do not support our son Kithure Kindiki yet we have supported you all along, then clearly let us split the mountain. You are a selfish community,” Ruku said.
However, the remarks have drawn criticism from other leaders who insist the region’s strength lies in unity.
Principal Secretary for the State Department for Energy Alex Wachira warned leaders against sowing seeds of discord among communities living in Mt Kenya.
He insisted that only a united region can effectively support President William Ruto’s re-election bid in 2027 and negotiate for a Mt Kenya presidency in 2032.
Wachira said political leaders should focus on development rather than divisive rhetoric.
Democracy For Citizens Party (DCP) Meru chairman James Mithika backed Wachira’s position, maintaining that Meru, Embu and the Kikuyu community have co-existed and worked together politically for generations.
Mithika criticized calls for a political separation between Mt Kenya East and the rest of the region, saying such sentiments were divisive and did not add value to the region’s development agenda.
Political analysts have in recent months pointed to growing competition for influence within the Mt Kenya voting bloc, which remains one of the country’s most influential electoral regions.
Mt Kenya West, comprise of Kiambu, Murang’a, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Nyandarua and Laikipia counties.
Residents in the two regions are divided between One Wantam and Two term.
Despite the emerging divisions, leaders advocating unity argue that the region’s bargaining power at the national level depends on maintaining political cohesion rather than pursuing ethnic or sub-regional interests.
Edited by John Majau
