Kindiki: Mt Kenya United, We're Not Going Anywhere

Kenya, July 25, 2026 - Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has declared that the Mt Kenya region remains united and firmly anchored in the Kenya Kwanza administration, sending a defiant message to political rivals seeking to pull the region away from President William Ruto’s government.
Kindiki said the region was not about to abandon a government it had helped build, insisting that he and other leaders from Mt Kenya would remain in government.
“We are not going anywhere. We are in government to stay,” Kindiki declared.
The Deputy President spoke on Saturday at the ASK Gitoro Showground in Meru, where he addressed thousands of farmers attending the 11th Annual Meru Dairy Farmers Field Day.
His declaration comes as political parties and rival formations intensify efforts to win over the Mt Kenya vote ahead of the 2027 General Election, with the region emerging as a key battleground.
Kindiki rejected attempts to portray Mt Kenya as divided, saying the region had a long history of unity that transcended political differences.
“Those of us who come from this region, myself included, are one community. We have been one community since Independence. We have traded together and shared a common cultural heritage,” he said.
The DP also appeared to dismiss political narratives questioning his continued relevance in government or suggesting that Mt Kenya could turn its back on the Kenya Kwanza administration.
He said the government could not suddenly be considered bad because the Deputy President came from one region and good when the holder of the office came from another.
“The same government cannot be bad because the Deputy President comes from one region and become good when he comes from another region. It is not possible,” he said.
Kindiki used a house-building analogy to emphasise that Mt Kenya would not abandon the administration it helped establish.
“You do not build a house, complete it, furnish it, and then abandon it to go and live in the forest. That is not possible,” he said.
“We are not going anywhere. We are in government to stay.”
The declaration is likely to intensify the political contest over Mt Kenya, where rival political camps are positioning themselves for influence ahead of the 2027 polls.
Kindiki challenged leaders seeking support in Meru to focus on their development record instead of political rhetoric.
“Those moving around Meru claiming to be important leaders should tell us what they have done for the people of Meru and how they helped increase milk prices for farmers,” he said.
He then pointed to government interventions in the dairy sector as evidence of the benefits of remaining in government.
Kindiki said President Ruto had directed the National Treasury to release Sh100 million this week for the second phase of the Meru Dairy animal feeds factory, with another Sh100 million expected through the Supplementary Budget to complete its expansion.
The factory is expected to lower the cost of livestock feeds, with a 50-kilogramme bag projected to retail at Sh2,800, compared with the current market price of between Sh3,100 and Sh3,200.
The DP also announced that Meru Dairy farmers would receive Sh52 per litre after deductions from August 1, up from Sh50, while the annual bonus would rise to Sh54 per litre.
He said the government had also reduced the cost of sexed semen and was working to improve its availability as demand from farmers increased.
Kindiki said the Meru Central Dairy Cooperative Union had expanded to 168 cooperative societies with more than 161,000 farmers, while annual milk production had risen from 83.6 million litres in 2020 to more than 220 million litres in 2025."