Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has slammed Members of Parliament from Meru County, accusing them of prioritising self-interest at the expense of the electorate.

Mr. Gachagua, who is on a campaign trail in the Mount Kenya East region, called out the MPs, when he made a stop-over in Nkubu Town.

Addressing locals who had gathered, the Former Dp accused President William Ruto’s administration of neglecting Merians and the Mount Kenya region at large - in infrastructure development and state appointments.

Gachagua, claimed even as the Meru electorate is struggling, their Members of Parliament are dining with the 'oppressor' receiving handouts, as state initiates development projects in other regions. "Wabunge wa meru ni Wajinga Sana" said the former Dp.

The DCP Party leader, warned that the electorate will vote-out each and everyone of the MPs from the region come 2027 - for being 'bought by President William Ruto.

He added, "Kasongo anapeleka barabara Rift valley, kwa Raila anapeleka stima, hapa Mt Kenya anapea wajumbe maharagwe watuletee ndio tumbe zetu zigurume."

As the political scramble for Mt Kenya heats up, President Ruto and his impeached deputy Gachagua are laying out parallel political strategies to win the support of the populous, vote-rich region ahead of the 2027 polls.

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has formed a new political movement composed of allies in the legislature. The new outfit, the Ituungati movement, is similar to the ‘Tangatanga’ group which Ruto formed in 2018 to face his then-boss President Uhuru Kenyatta, after failing to get Uhuru’s support as his successor in the 2022 elections.

Ituungati, which means “the servants of the community”, is a Kikuyu word derived from Kenya’s Mau Mau liberation war in the 1950s. According to Gachagua, the word aims to portray the new group – which mostly comprises legislators who opposed his impeachment – as the ‘heroes’ of the Mt Kenya region.

Borrowing its activities heavily from Ruto’s Tangatanga, the legislators have been accompanying Gachagua to different social and political functions, which they later use to criticise Ruto over alleged failed promises to Kenyans. They have also been holding a series of press conferences, issuing statements critical of the Ruto administration.

Just as Tangatanga was formed after Ruto fell out with Uhuru after the latter ditched Ruto and opted to support Raila Odinga as his preferred presidential candidate in 2022, the Ituungati movement was formed after Gachagua’s impeachment.

Though its activities are largely seen as a copy of the Tangatanga political script, Ituungati top officials described the outfit as “the new voice” of the Kenyan people.

In what appears to be a calculated political move for revenge against Ruto’s perceived betrayal by pushing him out, Gachagua has started lining up contestants to face Ruto’s allies in various elective seats in Mt Kenya in 2027.

The opposition outfit, currently on a campaign trail, has stated it will support one candidate as the flag bearer - yet to be announced - vowing to oust President William Ruto at the ballot come 2027.

Several Leaders will be joining Gachagua for his grand rally in Meru, scheduled to take place tomorrow. Leaders expected include Fred Matiang’i, Kalonzo Musyoka, Martha Karua, Eugene Wamalwa among others.