KERUGOYA — In a sharp rebuke that redraws the battle lines for the soul of the Mountain, Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has categorically ruled out joining former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s burgeoning political vehicle, the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP).

Speaking on Friday at the groundbreaking of the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) Kirinyaga Central Campus, Waiguru did not mince words. Addressing swirling rumors that she was secretly warming up to Gachagua’s camp amid shifting regional alliances, she issued a definitive denial.

“I am not going to Wamunyoro; do not wait for me there,” Waiguru declared, referring to the former DP’s rural home which has become a pilgrimage site for his loyalists since his impeachment in October 2024. “For those following me around, I tell them to take it slow because the election is far. If you do not have a seat anywhere, where will that person take us?”

The Constitutional Dead End

Waiguru’s rejection is not merely political; it is legal. She anchored her stance on the constitutional reality facing Gachagua, who remains barred from holding public office following his Senate impeachment last year. For the Kirinyaga Governor, backing Gachagua is a gamble with no payout for the voter.

“It is not even that he can vie; the constitution does not allow him. It is not me, it is the constitution,” she emphasized. “So, for a person who does not know where he is headed, why should he be followed?”

This pragmatic approach highlights the dilemma facing the Mt Kenya electorate in late 2025. While Gachagua has successfully tapped into emotive grassroots grievances—attempting to reinvent himself as the region’s defiant kingpin akin to a “Raila of the Mountain”—leaders like Waiguru are urging caution. They argue that aligning with a leader legally locked out of the ballot is a strategic error that could leave the region in the cold come 2027.

A Region in Flux

The Governor’s comments come as the vote-rich region grapples with a leadership vacuum. The political landscape has fractured into three distinct camps:

• The Loyalists: Leaders sticking with President William Ruto’s UDA, arguing for stability and government access.
• The DCP Insurgents: Gachagua’s faction, capitalizing on economic dissatisfaction and playing the victim card to galvanize support.
• The Independents: Figures like Waiguru who are carefully navigating the middle ground, focusing on their development track records while keeping their 2027 options open.

Analysts suggest Waiguru’s distancing is a calculated move to protect her own national ambitions. With her second term as governor ending in 2027, she is widely seen as a potential running mate or a cabinet contender. Tying her fortune to a “sinking ship,” as her allies describe the DCP, would be political suicide.

“We have said if our house has holes, we do not demolish the house, we patch the holes,” Waiguru noted, signaling her preference for reforming the current government from within rather than joining the opposition.

As the 2027 cycle looms, the question for the Kenyan voter remains: will they follow the emotional pull of Gachagua’s narrative, or the pragmatic, if cautious, path charted by leaders like Waiguru? For now, the Governor has made her choice clear.