President William Ruto has pushed back against growing political tension in Mt Kenya, dismissing claims that his relationship with the region can be weakened, and insisting that the bond he has built with its people remains firm and unshaken.
Addressing thousands of grassroots leaders at Sagana State Lodge, Ruto said those working to undermine his ties with Mt Kenya were engaging in political showmanship with no real impact on the ground.
He maintained that his connection with the region was founded on trust developed over time and could not be undone by internal political rivalry.
“Anyone who thinks he will break the friendship that I have established with the people of Mt Kenya region is day-dreaming,” Ruto said.
The president told the leaders that he would continue working closely with the region despite political pressure or attempts to create division, stressing that his commitment was not driven by convenience but by shared history and cooperation.
"Mimi siwachani na nyinyi...kwa vyovyote vile, muanze kujipanga mapema. Hatuwachani, tunatembea pamoja," he said.
Ruto reminded the gathering that political relationships are built through effort and reconciliation, noting that the support he received from Mt Kenya voters was the result of engagement rather than hostility.
"Urafiki unatengenezwa, unajengwa. Nyinyi mlinipatia kura zenu kwa sababu ya urafiki ambayo tumejenga. Si kulikuwa na uadui siku zingine? Sasa si tumerekebisha mpaka tukawa marafiki?”
The meeting drew more than 17,000 grassroots leaders who were recently elected as polling centre officials in Nyeri, a key political stronghold within Mt Kenya and the home county of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. The turnout underlined Nyeri’s growing role as a focal point of internal competition within the ruling party.
President William Ruto with UDA leaders during a meeting at Sagana State Lodge on January 17,2026.PHOTO/PCSNyeri has increasingly become a centre of political contest as differences sharpen ahead of the 2027 elections, with debates emerging around succession politics and the region’s influence within national leadership.
Ruto’s remarks came against the backdrop of rising criticism from Gachagua, who has openly challenged the president and questioned whether Mt Kenya voters should back his re-election bid. The former deputy president has argued that the region delivered decisive votes in 2022 and should not be assumed to offer automatic support if its concerns are not addressed.
Although Ruto did not directly name Gachagua, his message appeared aimed at calming unease within the region and reinforcing unity among grassroots leaders.
The president also used the forum to criticise political approaches based on insults, threats, or ethnic divisions, arguing that meaningful leadership depends on humility and cooperation.
“Leadership and development cannot be undertaken with noises, threats, abuses and kiburi ama ukabila. Inafanywa na unyenyekevu, uvumilivu, kujituma, na inafanywa kwa kuunganisha Wakenya na taifa lote la Kenya,” he said.
Beyond regional politics, Ruto outlined plans to strengthen the United Democratic Alliance, describing it as a national movement designed to last beyond a single election. He said the party was being reshaped to support Kenya’s long-term development goals and to provide political continuity.
A section of grassroots officials from Nyeri during the meeting at Sagana State Lodge on January 17, 2026.PHOTO/PCS“We are building the UDA into a truly mass national political party, one that champions Kenya’s transformation agenda in partnership with like-minded political movements across the country,” Ruto said.
“Through visionary leadership, political collaboration and unity of purpose, we are establishing a strong political unit to carry the national agenda beyond a single election cycle and to provide continuity in our development journey.”
Ruto defended his administration’s record, saying the government had made progress on key promises under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda during its first three years in office.
