Mount Kenya East 2032 bid gains momentum as Ichung’wa, Mbarire rally for unity

The push for Mount Kenya East to produce a presidential candidate in 2032 has received a major boost, with Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wa throwing his weight behind calls for regional unity and reciprocity.

Speaking during the UDA Embu grassroots leaders’ sensitisation forum, Ichung’wa underscored the importance of cohesion within the Mount Kenya region, saying unity would be critical ahead of the 2032 elections.

He urged leaders and residents to rally behind Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki, describing him as a unifying figure and a leader for the entire Mount Kenya region.

“Prof. Kindiki is a leader for all of Mount Kenya, and that is why many people are rallying behind him,” Ichung’wa said.

The Kikuyu MP strongly criticised individuals he accused of spreading hatred and disunity, warning that such tendencies threaten both regional solidarity and national stability. He noted that leaders have a responsibility to promote harmony rather than division.

Addressing economic issues, Ichung’wa called for a shift from heavy borrowing to more sustainable financing models.

He pointed out that Kenya has continued to borrow to fund both recurrent and development expenditure, an approach he said is no longer viable.

“We have been borrowing money to meet both our recurrent and development expenditures. This approach must change,” Ichung’wa said

"We need to establish a national infrastructure fund that can leverage both public and private capital, because we do not have sufficient fiscal space within the Kenyan budget to roll out all the development projects we have planned. Such a fund will enable us to move our country from a third-world economy to a first-world nation."

Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire, who also serves as the UDA national chairperson, echoed the call, saying Mount Kenya East deserves support and should be allowed to produce national leadership at the highest level. She criticised continued attempts by some individuals to sow division within the region.

Other leaders present at the forum included Embu County Woman Representative Njoki Wanjiru and Runyenjes MP Eric Muchangi, who also emphasised unity and grassroots mobilisation as key pillars for the region’s political future.

The sensitisation forum brought together UDA grassroots leaders from across Embu County, focusing on party unity, leadership alignment, and long-term political strategy ahead of future elections.

The unity call comes a day after Democracy for the Citizens Party national organising secretary Mithika Linturi criticised Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku and Mbarire over claims that Mt Kenya East is preparing to break away from the west and chart its own political path.

He also accused elected leaders from the region of remaining silent as Mt Kenya descends into what he described as political chaos.

Linturi questioned Ruku’s authority to speak on behalf of the region, accusing him of abandoning the electorate that voted him in.