Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has abandoned his campaign to divide Mt Kenya into East and West wings following intervention from elders.
Ruku said the elders persuaded him that the quest for equitable development and political representation could be pursued more effectively if the broader Mt Kenya region remained united and spoke with one voice.
The shift came after the Kirigiti gathering in Kiambu county on September 19, where the elders called for the region to remain united. They also endorsed Deputy President Kithure Kindiki as their spokesperson. Ruku also symbolically handed back an axe that represented his campaign to cut the region into two.
Ruku said he accepted the elders’ counsel because of their experience and understanding of the region’s history.
“It is the wisdom of the elders who are the custodians of our heritage, our history and our future. And when they sit and agree on a common direction, then you should be able to listen to them,” Ruku said during a television talk show on Tuesday.
He said the elders maintained that concerns over equitable development and political representation did not require political fragmentation, but could instead be addressed through a united Mt Kenya pursuing common interests.
Ruku said his decision should therefore not be interpreted as abandoning the demand for equity, but as a change in strategy following the elders’ intervention.
His earlier campaign had focused on what he described as longstanding disparities in leadership and development, particularly roads and other infrastructure in Mt Kenya East.
He cited road projects in Meru, Tharaka-Nithi, Embu, Mwea and Isiolo as examples of infrastructure investments being undertaken by the Kenya Kwanza administration.
“The government of President William Ruto is ensuring that we have development projects which we have been denied for many years by previous governments,” he said.
Ruku also cited his former constituency as an example of the infrastructure deficit that had informed his push for a stronger Mt Kenya East political voice.
He said that when he was elected MP in 2022, the constituency had only 37 kilometres of tarmacked roads despite its vast geographical area.
According to Ruku, 20 kilometres of additional roads have since been tarmacked under the Kenya Kwanza administration, while another 45km is under construction.
He said the development gap had been a major factor behind his earlier advocacy for a stronger political voice for Mt Kenya East.
Ruku had also linked the region’s development aspirations to its political support for President William Ruto, saying Mt Kenya East would support his re-election bid.
“That’s why I’ve been championing and saying at the top of my voice that Mt Kenya East would definitely give President William Ruto two terms,” he said.
Ruku now says development demands can be pursued without creating political divisions between the eastern and western sections of Mt Kenya.
The change comes as Kindiki assumes a more prominent role in efforts to build a common political voice for the region ahead of the 2027 general election.
At Kirigiti, elders directed Kindiki to lead the wider region as its spokesperson, although some political leaders have questioned whether the gathering had the mandate to speak for all of Mt Kenya.
Ruku said he would support the elders’ call for leaders from across the region to rally behind Kindiki in advancing the interests of Mt Kenya.
