Gachagua and Nyoro Demand Increased Budget for Mt. Kenya Region

President William Ruto is facing mounting pressure from key Mt. Kenya figures, including Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua and Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, who are demanding increased budgetary allocations for the region in the upcoming 2025/2026 fiscal year. 

The growing discord centres on concerns over development funding and agricultural support, signalling potential political repercussions if the government fails to address these priorities. The dispute escalated over the weekend as Gachagua and Nyoro publicly criticised the government's budgetary decisions, highlighting what they perceive as a neglect of the Mt. Kenya region's economic interests. Gachagua, the former Deputy President who was impeached last October, accuses Ruto of implementing policies akin to those of former President Daniel Moi, which he claims would economically suppress the Mt. Kenya region.

Speaking at Christ’s Joy Christian Church in Gatanga Constituency, Murang’a County, Gachagua asserted that Ruto aims to "make Mt Kenya a zone of economic and political slaves," accusing him of seeking to "impoverish and control" the region. Nyoro, who was ousted from his position as chair of the National Assembly’s Budget and Appropriations Committee following his refusal to support the government’s agenda and his opposition to Gachagua's impeachment, echoed these sentiments. 

Addressing attendees at the Gatagua Agro Marketing Farmers Cooperative Society in Kiharu Constituency, Nyoro voiced strong objections to the National Treasury’s decision to cut key agricultural support funds. He specifically cited the reduction of the Coffee Cherry Advance Revolving Fund by Sh1 billion and the removal of the Sh7 billion coffee debt waiver budget, as well as a Sh7 billion shortfall in funding for the subsidised fertiliser program.

Nyoro emphasised his dedication to agricultural reforms, referencing his tenure as Budget Committee chair, where he prioritised allocations for the coffee sector. He stated that he was "committed to ensuring that coffee sector debts were waived soonest." He warned that unless these funds are reinstated, he and other elected leaders from coffee-growing regions will reject the budget proposal when it is presented for approval next month.

Gachagua frames the dispute as deliberate marginalisation of Mt. Kenya voters, claiming that Ruto's administration uses financial incentives to maintain political control over the region. "Anytime you hear Ruto speak of tribalism, he is indirectly talking about Mt Kenya. Yet, we voted for him and not Raila Odinga in 2022," he stated. Gachagua further warns that Ruto's political fate is sealed for the 2027 elections, predicting electoral rejection due to his current approach. 

"The money he is loading into trucks using forklifts to ship to Mt Kenya will not help him. President Ruto should cease petty anger as he sees Mt Kenya desert him. He prayed for it, he authored his script," he remarked. 

He affirms that his political party will play a key role in unseating Ruto from power, vowing to expose the government’s perceived failings.