Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has said that President William Ruto's loss in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election marks the beginning of a political revolt in the Mt Kenya region.
Gachagua argued that the outcome reflects growing dissatisfaction among voters who overwhelmingly backed the Kenya Kwanza administration in the 2022 General Election.
Speaking during a church service in Kirinyaga County on Sunday, Gachagua said the by-election result was not an isolated setback for the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA), but a clear message from a region that feels betrayed after playing a decisive role in Ruto's rise to power.
The Ol Kalou by-election has attracted national attention after UDA lost the seat to the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), a result that has intensified political debate over Kenya Kwanza's grip on the vote-rich Mt Kenya region.
The defeat has also fuelled speculation over shifting political alliances ahead of the 2027 General Election, with both government and opposition leaders now stepping up campaigns to consolidate support in Central Kenya.
According to Gachagua, the warning signs had been evident long before the by-election, insisting that he repeatedly advised President Ruto against taking Mt Kenya's support for granted.
"Because this is not what we expected from President Ruto, he has betrayed us. He has turned against us and begun mistreating us," Gachagua told supporters.
The former Deputy President, who fell out with Ruto after leaving office, said his decades of political experience gave him a deeper understanding of the region's voting patterns than the President.
"People ask me what I know. I have 35 years of political experience. I told the President that although I may not have as much experience as him nationally, when it comes to the Mt Kenya region, I understand it better because I am one of its people."
He added that despite receiving overwhelming support from the region in 2022, Ruto had failed to appreciate the political culture of Mt Kenya.
"Even though the people voted for him, he is not one of them."
Gachagua claimed he had warned the President that voters in the region could not be won over through financial influence, saying loyalty depended on trust and performance.
"He boasted that he had enough money to buy everyone. I told him that the people of Mt Kenya cannot be bought. They do not tolerate betrayal. Once you betray them, they abandon you."
He argued that the Ol Kalou result vindicated those warnings and signalled broader political challenges for the Kenya Kwanza administration.
Gachagua called on Mt Kenya residents to remain united and elect leaders who would defend the region's interests. He said his political camp was targeting the election of at least 100 Members of Parliament whom he described as accountable to voters rather than political parties.
"If you help us elect about 100 Members of Parliament who are loyal to the community and to the voters, we will be able to put things right."
He also accused the government of sidelining Mt Kenya residents in public appointments, claiming jobs had been lost in public institutions.
He urged Mt Kenya leaders to resist political divisions, arguing that the region's bargaining power depended on maintaining unity.
"We cannot divide the Mt Kenya region. The mountain must remain united. Once Mt Kenya votes as one, it will remain strong. But if we become divided, we will weaken ourselves."