Ruto's Mt Kenya Strategy Forces Rigathi Gachagua into Defensive Campaign

President William Ruto’s renewed political push into the Mt Kenya region has jolted his former deputy Rigathi Gachagua into a defensive posture. Ruto’s back-to-back engagements in the vote-rich region that is perceived to be the backyard of Gachagua has forced the Democratic and Citizens Party leader to announce an extended 60-day political blitz on the mountain. The meetings are aimed at shoring up DCP support and stemming a steady haemorrhage of allies back to the ruling UDA camp. The President camped in Nyeri county for three days, conducting a “development tour” on January 12, and was back to the county on January 17 for a meeting with UDA grassroots leaders.