President William Ruto on Tuesday, January 23, pleaded with Kiharu Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro and other young politicians angling to be Mt. Kenya kingpin to proceed with caution.
Ruto asked Ndindi and other young politicians to accept to be mentored by the elder politicians before engaging in kingpin battles.
Based on his remarks, the President appeared to have sided with Gachagua. However, he deviated from openly backing the DP as his running mate in 2027, leaving the debate open for interpretation.
"Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and I said that we would mentor these young men. They should go slow while we are mentoring them because if they go too fast they will spoil things. Relax, do not be in a hurry," Ruto stated.
He added that it was not in his nature or that of his Deputy President to fight upcoming leaders.
A section of Mt Kenya leaders led by Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu and Gatanga MP Edward Muriu have been openly endorsing Ndindi Nyoro to be Ruto's running mate in 2027.
On Tuesday, January 17, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria further announced that he was the best-placed person to lead the community heading into the future.
In the build up to the August 2022 general election, President William Ruto chose Gachagua as his running mate, settling on him over Interior CS Kithure Kindiki in a fiercely contested battle.
As Ruto moved to quell the row between Gachagua and other Mt Kenya leaders, Kindiki, in a sly dig, stated that he should not be drawn into 2027 politics.
"Political talk about the 2027 or other future elections a year after a General Election is tactless, anti-people and primitive. It is a blot on the maturity of our democracy," CS Kindiki stated.
"The ongoing debate ought to stop, but if it must proceed, I respectfully request that my name should not be dragged into it."
On his part, Gachagua has stated that the fronting of Ndindi Nyoro as Ruto's potential running mate is engineered by certain people who do not want to see the vote-rich Mt Kenya region united.
“Nobody is planning to take someone else's position. These young men should relax.” he further addressed Nyoro and other politicians from the region.
