East or West? Ruto's headache as rivals thwart push for Mt Kenya split

President William Ruto’s relationship with Mt Kenya is under renewed scrutiny over growing political rebellion. [File, Standard]

The political battle for Mt Kenya’s influential voting bloc has intensified, with a section of leaders dismissing claims that the region is splitting into East and West, arguing that the debate is a strategy by competing political interests ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The growing debate has placed President William Ruto’s relationship with the region under renewed scrutiny, three years after Mt Kenya emerged as one of his strongest political bases in the 2022 General Election.