The battle for the mountain is over, and the war for 2027 is already won—at least according to Anne Waiguru. In a blistering dismissal of the country’s political rivals, the Kirinyaga Governor has declared that President William Ruto is on an unstoppable march to a second term, leaving a fractured and "brainless" opposition in his wake.

Waiguru’s confidence is not merely rhetorical; it is a calculated strike against the emerging "United Opposition." With the political landscape radically altered by the passing of Raila Odinga and the impeachment of Rigathi Gachagua, Waiguru is positioning herself as the undisputed gatekeeper of Mt Kenya. Her message to the region is stark: stick with the victor or perish in the political wilderness.

The "Brainless" Opposition

The Governor’s sentiments echo the President’s own bullish assessment. Ruto, emboldened by the disarray in the opposition ranks, has publicly derided his challengers for lacking the "intellectual capacity" to craft a credible alternative agenda. "They have no agenda, plan, or brain," Ruto claimed recently, setting a combative tone for the upcoming election cycle.

The so-called United Opposition, a coalition attempting to fill the void left by Odinga, is struggling to find its footing. Figures like Kalonzo Musyoka and the exiled Gachagua are attempting to pivot from protest politics to policy debates on the cost of living and debt, but the government’s machinery is ruthlessly characterizing them as "has-beens" fighting for relevance.

• The Numbers Game: Waiguru insists the opposition simply "lacks the numbers." With Ruto aiming for a victory margin of 2-3 million votes, the UDA machine is currently executing a massive grassroots recruitment drive, effectively swallowing up smaller parties like ANC and Ford Kenya.
• The Mt Kenya Split: The subtext of Waiguru’s declaration is the internal war for Central Kenya. [...](asc_slot://start-slot-9)By dismissing the opposition, she is directly undermining Gachagua’s attempts to rally the region against Ruto. "Other regions are fighting for a slice of government," she warned, implying that Mt Kenya cannot afford to be in the opposition.

As the 2027 clock ticks, the narrative is being written not by the challengers, but by the incumbents. For Waiguru and Ruto, the question is not if they will win, but by how much. The opposition, meanwhile, must prove they are more than just a ghost of elections past.