Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga has suddenly become the belle of Mount Kenya politics, with President William Ruto’s UDA party openly courting him, and for good reason.
Still associated with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s camp, Kahiga is also striking a more accommodating tone towards State House, hinting he could back President William Ruto’s re-election if development promises in Nyeri are fulfilled.
In plain talk: deliver the projects, and Kahiga might shout Tutam.
Ironically, this would not be Kahiga’s first flirtation with the Tutam movement. When President Ruto toured Mount Kenya last year, the Nyeri governor publicly pledged support for the re-election bid, only to later retreat into studied silence as the political fallout around Gachagua intensified. That earlier pledge, and subsequent reneging, is now being cited by insiders as proof that Kahiga has long kept one foot inside the UDA tent, even when appearing to walk away.
FULL MEMBER
Speaking recently at the Nyeri Grassroots Leaders Forum at Sagana State Lodge, attended by over 15,000 of UDA supporters, Kahiga reminded the crowd that he was elected on a UDA ticket, remains a fully paid-up member, and recognises only one president, William Ruto. It was his third time doing so in Nyeri, infront of Ruto.
Those declarations alone explains why UDA is chasing him so aggressively.
Mount Kenya remains politically unsettled after Gachagua’s dramatic ouster, and Nyeri is one of the counties UDA is keen to lock down early. Kahiga, as a second-term governor with nothing left to lose locally, is a strategic prize.
His recent moves suggest a man thinking beyond county politics. After Gachagua was pushed out, Kahiga openly signaled interest in the then-vacant Interior docket after kithure kindiki’s elevation to the position of Deputy president, saying he was ready to serve if called upon. The statement was widely interpreted as more than idle talk, it marked him out as a leader quietly positioning himself for a national role.
BEYOND 2027
That ambition helps explain his careful recalibration.
For months, Kahiga unsettled both camps. He sympathised with Gachagua after the impeachment, predicted the collapse of the Ruto administration, and warned that the government would not survive beyond 2027. Yet he never formally exited UDA, never joined the opposition, and never shut the door on State House.
His appearance alongside President Ruto at a church service in Nyeri earlier this month, where he again declared his UDA membership, confirmed what many suspected: this was not a U-turn, but a return to an old balancing act.
“I voted for Ruto, he is my president,” Kahiga said, dismissing the confusion around his political posture.
Political analysts say Kahiga’s behaviour reflects calculation rather than confusion. With 2027 approaching and national appointments increasingly tied to loyalty and cooperation, the governor appears determined to avoid being frozen out of the centre of power.
FUTURE RELEVANCE
In Mount Kenya politics, where missteps can consign even big names to political Siberia, Kahiga’s ambiguity may be his biggest weapon.
For Ruto, courting Kahiga is about stabilising Nyeri and softening resistance in the region. For Kahiga, keeping UDA within arm’s reach is about future relevance.
For now, he is smiling, hinting, and waiting and UDA, aware of his value, is more than happy to chase.
