Kenya’s election reduced to Mt Kenya affair – Senator Kajwang’

Senator Kajwang’ Decries Overfocus on Mt Kenya in National Politics
Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang’ has criticised the growing trend of national elections being overly centered on the Mount Kenya region, saying it has reduced Kenya’s democratic contest into a regional affair. Speaking on the campaign trail ahead of the 2022 general election, Kajwang’ lamented that political coalitions had focused almost exclusively on appealing to Mt Kenya voters at the expense of other regions. Everyone is trying to outdo themselves to please Mt Kenya. As important as that region is to the country’s economy, it is unfair to make the rest of Kenya feel politically invisible, he said.
Kajwang’s remarks came amid an intensified scramble for the Mt Kenya vote by the two leading coalitions — Azimio la Umoja and Kenya Kwanza — both of which fielded running mates from the region in a bid to sway its estimated 5.7 million registered voters. The Rift Valley, with 5.3 million voters, was another major bloc, but Mt Kenya’s numerical strength and political cohesion made it the ultimate prize. With President Uhuru Kenyatta exiting the political stage, the region had no presidential candidate of its own, forcing aspirants Raila Odinga and William Ruto to battle for its support through trusted lieutenants and extensive campaigns.
Raila picked veteran politician Martha Karua as his running mate, banking on her reformist credentials, integrity record, and popularity within the mountain. Ruto, on the other hand, settled on Rigathi Gachagua, a vocal defender of Mt Kenya interests and an outspoken figure known for his combative political style. The choices instantly set the stage for a fierce contest in Central Kenya, which, until the 2018 handshake between Uhuru and Raila, had largely been considered Ruto’s stronghold. Within days of announcing their tickets, both Azimio and Kenya Kwanza teams crisscrossed counties like Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Nyeri, Embu, and Murang’a in an effort to lock in support.
As the election approached, Mt Kenya emerged as the ultimate battleground, its rallies attracting massive crowds and dominating national headlines. Kajwang’ warned that the obsession with one region risked deepening divisions and alienating other parts of the country from meaningful participation in national politics. He urged leaders to treat every region as equally significant in shaping Kenya’s future. The presidency should never belong to one mountain or one valley, he said. Kenya belongs to all of us.