Rigathi Gachagua has created a dangerous political narrative by speaking as though the entire Mt. Kenya region belongs to him.
His latest claim that he will mobilize “Molima’s 7 million votes” against President Ruto in 2027 sounds less like political analysis and more like an attempt to gatekeep an entire region.
The numbers simply do not support the claim. In 2022, the total votes cast across Mt. Kenya counties for both major presidential candidates were about 3.8 million. Even after the registration of roughly 527,000 new voters, the arithmetic still does not magically become 7 million votes.
Critics argue that this is part of a familiar strategy: using registered voter figures when convenient and comparing them with votes cast in other regions to create the impression that “tuko wengi” beyond what the data shows. More importantly, no politician owns Mt. Kenya.
The region contains millions of independent voters with different interests, parties, and political preferences. Speaking as though one individual can “deliver” every vote reduces citizens to political property.
If Gachagua wants to lead nationally, he should persuade voters with ideas and policies, not by presenting himself as the sole custodian of Mt. Kenya’s political destiny.
