If there was any lingering doubt that Rigathi Gachagua is now a political outsider in the government he helped form, President William Ruto’s tour of Mathira this week erased it. In a move dripping with symbolism, the President stormed his former deputy’s backyard—not to make peace, but to crown his replacement.

Flanked by the new Deputy President Kithure Kindiki on his right and Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga on his left, Ruto’s visit to Karatina was a masterclass in political power projection. The President pointedly ignored Gachagua’s local influence, instead utilizing the state machinery to speak directly to the "ground," launching the Sh173 million Nyota empowerment programme and a 680-unit housing project.

"Paying My Debt"

"I am here in Mathira to pay my debt," Ruto declared to a cheering crowd, reframing his relationship with the region. By bypassing Gachagua and delivering development directly, Ruto effectively told the voters: You don't need a middleman to reach me.

The optics were brutal for the former DP:

• The New Hierarchy: DP Kindiki was accorded all the trappings of the region’s kingpin, welcoming the President and introducing local leaders. The silence regarding Gachagua was deafening.
• The Development Weapon: Ruto is using tangible projects—markets, housing, and youth funds—to counter Gachagua’s narrative of betrayal. It is a strategy of "development over noise."
• Local Defections: The presence of Governor Kahiga, previously a staunch Gachagua ally, signals that the region’s elite are rapidly realigning with the new center of power to survive 2027.

The 2027 Calculation

For Gachagua, this tour was a humiliation designed to strip him of his "villager" base. By elevating Kindiki (from Tharaka Nithi) in the heart of Nyeri, Ruto is expanding the definition of "The Mountain" and breaking the Kikuyu hegemony over the region’s leadership. The message from Karatina is stark: The Gachagua chapter is closed; the Kindiki era has begun, and the Mountain is moving on.