Political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi has sparked fresh political debate after urging President William Ruto to stop investing political energy in winning back the Mt. Kenya region following UDA’s defeat in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election.
In a strongly-worded statement, Prof. Ngunyi argued that the by-election outcome was proof that many voters in the region have rejected the President despite his sustained efforts to regain their support.
According to Ngunyi, the Ol Kalou result should serve as a wake-up call for the Head of State to shift his political focus elsewhere. He suggested that Ruto should, instead, strengthen ties with the Luo Nation and the Mulembe Nation, arguing that these regions present a more realistic path to building a stable political coalition ahead of the next General Election.
“Dear Ruto. No point courting Kikuyus. You have tried. They have rejected you. Ol Kalau is the testament. Turn to the Luo Nation and Mulembe Nation. Ol Kalau is a pain point for you. OR was it an experiment to justify discarding Kikuyus? Just do it! 9 Kikuyu ministers? Fire them,” Ngunyi posted on his social media platforms.
Ngunyi went further by questioning whether the Ol Kalou contest was merely an experiment designed to confirm that Mt. Kenya was no longer politically attainable for UDA. In one of the most controversial parts of his remarks, he called on President Ruto to dismiss the nine Cabinet Secretaries from the Kikuyu community, claiming there was little political value in retaining them if the region had already turned against his government.
The comments are expected to fuel intense political discussions, especially after the Democratic Change Party (DCP) wrestled the Ol Kalou seat from UDA in a closely watched contest.
While Ngunyi’s views reflect his own political analysis, they underscore the growing debate over whether the Kenya Kwanza administration should continue prioritising Mt. Kenya or redirect its political strategy toward other regions as the country’s political landscape continues to evolve.