Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has once again rejected efforts to broker a reconciliation with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, dealing another setback to a campaign that has increasingly exposed the political divisions within the Mt Kenya region.
Gachagua has reportedly been deploying emissaries, including a section of the Gikuyu Council of Elders, to persuade Uhuru to agree to a formal truce.
However, sources close to the former President indicate that several outreach attempts have been unsuccessful, with Uhuru repeatedly declining to engage.
The latest reconciliation effort, which was scheduled for late October 2026, reportedly collapsed after Uhuru became unavailable for the proposed meeting, leaving Gachagua’s camp frustrated.
At the centre of Uhuru’s reluctance is a fundamental disagreement over political identity and the direction of Mt Kenya’s politics.
Allies of the former President reportedly view him as a statesman seeking to maintain a national political outlook, while expressing reservations about Gachagua’s confrontational political style and its potential to deepen regional divisions.
There are also concerns within Uhuru’s camp that an open political embrace of Gachagua could undermine the former President’s standing beyond Mt Kenya, particularly as he seeks to retain influence in the broader national opposition politics.
The two leaders are also increasingly invested in separate political projects ahead of the 2027 General Election, making any reconciliation more complicated.
Through Jubilee Party, Uhuru is backing former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i as a potential presidential candidate, positioning the former CS as a key figure in the party’s political comeback.
Gachagua, on the other hand, has built an alliance with Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka through the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), with the two camps presenting their partnership as a formidable opposition arrangement.
The latest failed initiative is understood to be the fourth major attempt to reconcile the two leaders since their political fallout during the 2022 election campaigns.
But the stakes have since risen, with Deputy President Kithure Kindiki emerging as another central figure in the contest for political control of Mt Kenya.
While Gachagua is pushing for regional consolidation behind his political outfit and opposition allies, Kindiki has countered with a campaign to unite the region under President William Ruto’s government, rejecting attempts to politically isolate Mt Kenya from the rest of the country.
