KERUGOYA — Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has drawn a sharp line in the sand regarding the future of Mt Kenya politics, warning residents that following former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is akin to boarding a vehicle with no driver and no destination.

Speaking on Friday during the groundbreaking ceremony for the first-ever Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) in Kirinyaga Central, Waiguru did not mince words. She characterized the impeached former DP’s attempts to consolidate the region under his new Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) as a futile exercise that ignores constitutional realities.

“Yeye hajui mahali anaenda (He does not know where he is going),” Waiguru told the crowd at the site next to Kerugoya County Referral Hospital. “Why should you follow someone who is constitutionally barred from holding public office? It is a journey to nowhere.”

The Constitutional Dead End

Waiguru’s attack strikes at the heart of Gachagua’s political resurgence strategy. Since his impeachment in October 2024, the former Deputy President has been aggressively positioning himself as the de facto opposition leader in the Mountain, recently scoring minor victories in ward by-elections.

However, Waiguru reminded voters that the law is clear. Having been removed from office by impeachment, Gachagua is currently disqualified from vying for any elective seat in 2027.

“I cannot work with a person who has no constitutional or political direction,” Waiguru asserted, distancing herself from Gachagua’s ‘Wamunyoro’ camp. “I am finishing my second term. I cannot vie for Governor again. But I will not lead my people into the wilderness just to soothe one man’s ego.”

Development vs. Defiance

The Governor used the KMTC launch to contrast her “development-first” approach with Gachagua’s “politics of defiance.” She framed the new medical college—built on two acres of county land—as a direct dividend of cooperating with President William Ruto’s national government.

For the average resident of Kirinyaga, the stakes are economic, not just political. The new campus is expected to:

• Create hundreds of direct jobs during construction and operation.
• Boost the local economy in Kerugoya as students rent houses and buy food.
• Provide affordable medical training for local youth who previously had to travel to Nairobi or Thika.

“This project is a testament to what happens when leaders align resources with community needs,” noted Kirinyaga Central MP Gachoki Gitari, who backed Waiguru’s sentiment. “Where many saw a challenge, we saw a possibility.”

The Battle for the Mountain

The timing of Waiguru’s salvo is significant. With the 2027 General Election horizon approaching, the scramble to inherit the Mt Kenya voting bloc is intensifying. While Gachagua plays the victim card—claiming state persecution after authorities allegedly blocked his travel plans earlier this week—Waiguru is betting that the region will ultimately vote for tangible projects over grievance politics.

“Who appointed him the King of the Mountain?” Waiguru posed, challenging the narrative that Gachagua is the region's automatic spokesman. She insisted that retired President Uhuru Kenyatta remains the senior-most figure in the region until a new kingpin naturally emerges through work, not noise.

As the political temperatures rise, the message from Kerugoya was clear: The region must choose between the emotional satisfaction of opposition or the pragmatic benefits of remaining in government.