Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua appears to be facing defections by his Mt Kenya allies, with that of his right hand man, Mr Ngunjiri Wambugu, being the latest blow to his political game plan of ring-fencing the populous region ahead of 2027.
Already, Mr Gachagua has suffered loyalty flights from Maragua MP Mary wa Maua and Kangema MP Peter Kihungi.
Others lawmakers who appeared to support Mr Gachagua but have since realigned with President William Ruto are Mr Eric Muchangi (Runyenjes), Mr Wainaina Chieni ( Kienei) and Embu Woman Rep Njoki Njeru.
All the three did not vote in support of Mr Gachagua’s impeachment but today align with the President.
Others who are rated as former allies to Mr Gachagua but have suddenly gone to the 'suspicious' side are Kandara MP Chege Njuguna and his Githunguri counterpart Gathoni wa Muchomba.
Mr Njuguna and Mr Wamuchomba despite being earlier vocal pro-Gachagua voices did not show up at Wamunyoro last Sunday when Mr Gachagua hosted his anti-Ruto alliance principals.
The principals are People's Liberation Party leader Martha Karua, Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa and former Interior Cabinet Secretary, Dr Fred Matiang'i.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua (centre) with other political leaders when he hosted them at his Wamunyoro home in Nyeri County on May 4, 2025.
Ms Wamuchomba was instead meeting youths in her Kenol hometown. She later posted a cryptic political message on her Facebook page.
The message read: "Life Lessons from Niccolò Machiavelli: Adapt to change and embrace pragmatism, understand human nature, fortune favours the bold, balance virtue with practicality and resilience is key to success".
This was happening after Mr Gachagua had earlier lost his 'political foster children' in the name of Mathira MP Eric Wamumbi and his wife Betty Maina who is Murang'a Woman Rep.
Besides the couple having their matrimonial home near Gachagua's home village in Mathira, he acted as Mr Wamumbi's father figure during his visit to the in-laws to ask for Ms Maina's hand and the eventual dowry paying ceremony.
The two were to ardently campaign for Mr Gachagua's impeachment, voted for his downfall and are today among the most vocal crucifying agents of the former DP's political life.
Mr Wambugu's departure from Mr Gachagua's camp came as a shocker since he was the official gatekeeper at Wamunyoro command centre.
Mr Wambugu revealed his departure from Mr Gachagua's wing in an interview with Kogi's Corner TV on Tuesday night.
His departure came hot on the heels of Maragua MP Ms Mary Wa Maua who moved into President Ruto's camp on April 3, 2025.
President Ruto was on a six-day tour of the Mountain when he landed in Maragua constituency and won over the heart of Ms Wamaua.
Mixed signals
While Mr Wambugu came out speaking from both corners of his mouth-- saying he was going back to his Jubilee Party and transferring his loyalty to former President Uhuru Kenyatta, he at the same time wished President Ruto a second term in office.
While Ms Wamaua did not declare her stand regarding President Ruto's reelection bid, she however said that Mr Gachagua impeachment was a small issue that was water under the bridge.
Mr Gachagua had been impeached in October last year, sending the Mountain into a fit of rage and hostility against President Ruto's government and his loyalists.
Mr Gachagua however refused to sink, instead repackaged himself as the face of opposition, with time consolidating his grip of the mountain to a near cultic following.
Mr Wambugu was among his most trusted loyalists and in tow were a number of area elected leaders who stuck with him, Ms Wamaua among the most ardent.
But the moment President Ruto landed in her constituency, Ms Wamaua speaking at the Maragua Ridge public rally confessed that the Gachagua impeachment was problematic for the President's popularity in the area.
Maragua MP Mary Wamaua. She has dumped former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua for President William Ruto.
"But that was only a slip...it was not a fall as such. I want to confess that I have been in talks with Deputy President Kithure Kindiki since November and with the president since December last year".
Ms Maua said "where you go that is where I will go and your people shall be my people...your president will be my president".
She further declared that "for now what interests me and my people are development projects and not politics, 2027 will come and we shall deal".
She followed her damascus moment into Inooro TV interview on April 10, 2025 where she declared that "it was not me who was impeached".
She said her constituents were against "permanent anger about the impeachment since they elected me not to fight impeachment battles but serve their development aspirations".
Ms Wamaua however said she was open to being used by President Ruto as his ground agent.
In Mr Wambugu's case, he said President William Ruto is most likely not a one term president since the impeachment bred anger against the head of state and his loyalists was subsiding in Mt Kenya.
"People are healing. From the November anger about the Gachagua impeachment where residents couldn't listen to leaders, today they are listening," he said.
In what appears to be a fallout more than meets the eye, Mr Wambugu accused Mr Gachagua's camp of defaming him after he decamped.
He said his relations with Gachagua were to help him build on his communications when he was deputy president.
Former Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu during a past function.
"I was not there as a politician. I was there as a professional. After the October 2024 impeachment against him, my work came to a close. I'm now back to my politics as an independent player," he said.
Trashing Mr Gachagua's intended political party for the mountain to be unveiled in the next two weeks, Mr Wambugu dismissed the move as a one man one party dictatorship.
"I cannot support one party dictatorship because even if it might help me, it cannot be fair to all. As a God fearing person I stand for justice and fairness. I cannot lose my character and principles for convenience...We should let multiparty democracy prevail," he said.
Scorecard and election
As for Mr Kihungi, he gave a speech in February when he decamped and visited President Ruto at State House, Nairobi.
He said that it was practically impossible for an elected leader to achieve pre-election pledges while in conflict with the government of the day.
He said elected leaders capitalise on scorecard to sell their ambitions to the electorate in an electioneering season.
"It is very hard to serve while fighting the government. I urge President Ruto and Mr Gachagua to close ranks again and work together so as to make working at the Mt Kenya grassroots easier," he said.
Mr Gachagua had on Sunday declared total war on all those he claimed were betraying the Mt Kenya cause of making president Ruto a one term tenant for state house.
"The war against the colonialists was not made difficult by their soldiers and weaponry...it was made tougher, treacherous, longer and deadlier by our very own citizens who chose to be traitors. It is a patriotic duty by Mt Kenya residents to as they vote out Ruto in 2027, first kick out all these traitors," he said.
Mr Wambugu's stance presents the most conspicuous dilemma in understanding what is happening in Mt Kenya politics.
According to former Mt Kenya MCAs Caucus Chairman Charles Mwangi, it is now not clear where Jubilee party stands and how stable Gachagua politics are.
"Politics is a very interesting game full of deception. Mr Wambugu even said that the only recognised Mt Kenya kingpin is Mr Kenyatta. Mr Kenyatta publicly shook hands with President Ruto in December last year. We are in interesting moments," Mr Mwangi said.
He added that "Mr Wambugu's decamping from Gachagua wing and launching that scathing attack against him announces realignments at play that respects not face value appearances".
Mr Mwangi said "we are now not too sure whether Mr Kenyatta is in Gachagua's wing or playing it independently...or is even supporting President Ruto in a diversionary manner".
