This pledge comes after Gachagua accused Ruto of betraying the area, particularly after Ruto was impeached.
Gachagua argues that Ruto failed to represent the interests of Mt Kenya properly and that this betrayal has caused significant harm to the community.
Gachagua believes that Kalonzo Musyoka, another political figure, needs at least four million votes from the Ukambani region to become a strong leader for the opposition.
He positions himself as a key figure in the opposition movement, citing that he has secured six million votes from Mt Kenya. Gachagua has urged other political leaders to demonstrate their strength and unity before they consider challenging Ruto.
Gachagua has vowed to completely block Ruto from gaining any votes from Mt Kenya, and he is currently leading a rally in Kirinyaga.
This region played a crucial role in Ruto's victory in the 2022 presidential election, where he defeated the late Raila Odinga. Raila Odinga had support from the government under Uhuru Kenyatta.
Out of the total 7.1 million votes that Ruto received, 3.5 million were from Mt Kenya. Ruto's campaign team included Gachagua as his deputy, who often credited him as the key reason for their success.
However, the relationship between Ruto and Gachagua began to deteriorate two years after Ruto took office.
Over time, their differences grew too large to resolve, leading to Gachagua's impeachment in October 2024.
Since then, Gachagua has been actively criticizing Ruto, accusing him of betraying Mt Kenya by allowing the impeachment process to proceed. He has continued his attacks, claiming that Ruto's actions have damaged the region's interests.
Speaking to his supporters in Kirinyaga on Saturday, March 28, Gachagua reaffirmed his commitment to stopping Ruto from gaining support from the Mt Kenya region.
He criticized Ruto for calling him a tribalist, pointing out that he had supported Ruto despite coming from a different ethnic group. Gachagua said,
"When we supported you we knew you are a Kalenjin, and you were not a Kikuyu. Right now you are insulting our community, calling us tribalists.
I want to tell you William Kipchirchir Ruto, I Gachagua, while at home here in Kirinyaga, as a descendant of Mau Mau, that if you will manage even 5% of votes from this region, then I will not be a man," he said.
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