The political isolation of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has reached critical mass. In a coordinated rebellion that signals the end of his grip on Mt. Kenya politics, five key allies—led by the vocal Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba—have officially defected from his camp, citing "lack of direction" and "unnecessary hostility" towards the government.

Wamuchomba, previously Gachagua’s fiercest defender, accused the former DP of reducing the region’s politics to "village grievances." "We cannot spend the next two years crying about milk prices while the rest of Kenya is sharing the national cake," she told a press conference in Nyeri. "We are going back to the table where decisions are made."

The Roll Call of Defectors

Joining Wamuchomba in the exit lounge are Maragua MP Mary Wamaua, Kangema MP Peter Irungu, and former Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu. The group announced they would form a "Mt. Kenya Development Caucus" to negotiate directly with President Ruto, bypassing Gachagua entirely.

• The Ruto Strategy: Insiders reveal that this exodus is the result of a quiet but aggressive charm offensive by State House. By offering development projects directly to constituencies, the President has effectively cut the ground from under Gachagua’s feet.
• Gachagua’s Response: A defiant Gachagua dismissed the defectors as "stomachs for hire" who have been bought for "thirty pieces of silver." However, the optics of losing his generals are damaging.

With his inner circle shrinking by the day, Gachagua is fast becoming a general without an army. The battle for the soul of the Mountain has shifted, and the momentum is no longer on his side.