Mt Kenya Kingpin: 69.1% Of Residents Back Kithure Kindiki Against 25% Of Gachagua

• Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's influence in Mt Kenya could be dwindling, as the findings of a survey by Politrack Africa show
• Over 69% of the respondents in the study conducted between September 9 and 10 prefer Interior CS Kithure Kindiki to Gachagua (24.9%)
• A considerable chunk of lawmakers from Mt Kenya have announced to rally behind Kindiki as their go-to leader, pushing to the deputy president who has sang about the region's unity to the periphery

Kai Eli, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

The political dynamics in the populous Mt Kenya region continue to shift by the day as factions emerge to position themselves ahead of the 2027 vote.

The findings of a survey by Politrack Africa show Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki is the region's preferred kingpin.

How many Mt Kenya residents want Kindiki as their kingpin?

Kindiki is preferred by 69.1% of the respondents, the deputy president trailing him with 24.9%.

Kirinyaga governor Anne Waiguru was preferred by 6.9% of the respondents.

The study, which recorded a confidence level of 90% and a margin of error of ± 4, was conducted between September 9 and 10 across nine counties in the region.

The pollster contacted 812 respondents sourced from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) voter's roll.

Further, the study established that 79% of the respondents support Mt Kenya East leaders' resolve to back Kindiki.

Why Kindiki is Mt Kenya's most preferred kingpin

The CS proponents believe he is best suited to address pertinent issues such as alcoholism, unemployment, corruption, cash crop returns, and infrastructure.

This came as a host of lawmakers endorsed Kindiki as their link to the National Executive, this proving their defiance against Gachagua's rhetoric.

They convened in Nyahururu on Thursday, September 12.

They said that after consultations, they agreed that Kindiki would be their perfect nexus with the government on development matters and the region's social progression.

How many Mt Kenya MPs have endorsed Kindiki?

At least 35 MPs attended the meeting, while 13 lawmakers sent their apologies but were in concurrence.

In a statement to newsrooms, the lawmakers said they had unanimously resolved that the Interior CS would be their link to the national government.

The lawmakers further resolved to form a coordinating committee to link them and the executive.

They decried that their efforts to consolidate development had been frustrated previously due to the lack of a focal point of reference around whom the people's interests and priorities could be channelled to the government for actualization.

Gachagua has been presenting himself as the leader of the region, often rallying the electorate behind him.

He has however been opposed by defiant legislators who accuse him of advancing retrogressive politics of tribalism and ethnicity guised as call for unity.

What are pundits saying?

With the developments, political seers argue it is still too early to predict the oncoming politics in Mt Kenya.

Karen Mwangi, a pollster at Intel Research Solutions (IRS) and political analyst, says the move by the lawmakers could be cosmetic and deficient in substance.

She, however, does not rule out the influence the lawmakers could be wielding in the respective constituencies.

Mwangi says Gachagua has managed to cement his political presence in the region for the length of his presidency, and thus, mere forums and press briefings tend not to pose a threat to him.

"Gachagua came in as a political greenhorn, just with one term in parliament, but he has been able to style himself as an influential leader. The MPs could wield some influence in their areas, but it is not enough to challenge the deputy president with," she told this writer.

She adds that the electorate in Mt Kenya is unimpressed by their leaders, who might now be using Gachagua to redeem themselves.

According to Mwangi, pertinent issues such as, among others, returns for the region's cash crops and products and stalled infrastructural projects have not been addressed to the region's advantage.

Therefore, she implies, any such efforts to sideline the deputy president could be diversionary to avoid accountability.

"Mt Kenya people are not happy with some of these leaders because they failed to live up to the expectations after a basketful of promises during the 2022 campaigns. They want to be told their roads will be completed, they want to be assured of the guaranteed returns, and so forth; any other commitments by their leaders are of no essence. The people are now woke and might not want to buy any rhetoric sold to them against a leader," she said.

Proofreading by Otukho Jackson, a multimedia journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke