Kindiki holds Mt Kenya elders’ meeting in bid to unite East, West

• DCP party leader Rigathi Gachagua has accused Ruto of using Kindiki to create a political split between Mt Kenya East and Mt Kenya West, urging the region to remain politically united.

A file photo of DP Kithure Kindiki during an engagement with elders drawn from Meru, Embu, Tharaka Nithi, Kirinyaga and Isiolo, at Nembure Grounds in Manyatta Constituency, Embu County, on August 15, 2026.

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki is leading a gathering of Mt Kenya elders at Kirigiti Stadium in Kiambu County, as efforts to bring together the region’s East and West blocs gather pace ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The meeting comes against a backdrop of growing calls for Mt Kenya East and Mt Kenya West to find common ground and agree on a shared political and development agenda.

Kindiki, who hails from Tharaka Nithi, has increasingly found himself at the centre of the conversation on the region’s political future, with elders from Mt Kenya East rallying behind him while also seeking greater political recognition and influence for the eastern bloc.

In August, elders from Meru, Embu, Tharaka Nithi, Kirinyaga and Isiolo endorsed Kindiki as President William Ruto’s running mate for the 2027 election and backed his future presidential ambitions.

The elders also mandated their councils to engage counterparts in Mt Kenya West in an effort to establish a common position on the political and development future of the wider region.

The efforts to bridge the two sides come as some leaders from Mt Kenya East push for a distinct political identity, arguing that the region has historically supported leaders from Mt Kenya West without receiving a commensurate political and development return.

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has been among the most vocal proponents of the position.

Ruku has previously said Mt Kenya East has for years supported the broader Mt Kenya political agenda but has not received a fair share of development in return for its political loyalty. He called on the eastern bloc to speak with one voice and pursue a common political direction that would strengthen its bargaining power nationally.

Ruku has also defended his call for Mt Kenya East to chart its own political course, saying the region has the right to make independent political decisions based on its interests and development priorities.

The position was reiterated in September when Ruku appeared before the National Cohesion and Integration Commission over remarks concerning Mt Kenya East. He maintained that the eastern region had been marginalised for decades while supporting leaders from Mt Kenya West and said it should take a different political position to secure development ahead of the 2027 elections.

Ruku has also said Mt Kenya East would support Kindiki's political ambitions beyond 2027. In June, he said the region had resolved to unite behind Kindiki and support him to succeed President Ruto in 2032.

The push for a distinct eastern political identity has, however, not been universally embraced across the region.

In August, the Njuri Ncheke Council of Elders endorsed Kindiki and backed Ruto's re-election while simultaneously calling for unity across Mt Kenya ahead of the 2027 elections.

Elders from Mt Kenya East have similarly called for structured engagement with Mt Kenya West.

The East-West question has also become part of the wider political contest surrounding President Ruto's relationship with Mt Kenya.

DCP party leader Rigathi Gachagua has accused Ruto of using Kindiki to create a political split between Mt Kenya East and Mt Kenya West, urging the region to remain politically united.

Kindiki has, in turn, called for the region to give elders from both sides space to resolve their differences.

At a recent gathering in Embu, the Deputy President cautioned against attempts to create divisions between Mt Kenya East and West, saying elders from the two sides were already engaging and should be given time to pursue their efforts.

The Deputy President has also linked the region's political calculations to the 2027 and 2032 elections. In April, he urged Mt Kenya residents to support Ruto's re-election in 2027, arguing that this would position the region to pursue its own presidential bid in 2032.

The message has since gained traction among leaders from Mt Kenya East, with leaders from Meru, Embu, Tharaka Nithi and Isiolo declaring earlier this month that the region would seek the presidency in 2032, with Kindiki as their preferred candidate, while backing Ruto's re-election in 2027.

Former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo is among the leaders attending the Saturday elders' forum.