Former Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has raised concern over what he says is declining voter registration activity in the Mt Kenya region, linking it to growing political disengagement ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV on Wednesday night, Kuria said the trend reflects what he described as uncertainty among voters about the region’s role in national politics.
“A few months ago, I was telling people that either the mountain is crazy or drunk. As we get closer to the elections, we will know the difference between whether they are drunk or they are crazy,” he said.
Kuria suggested that voter turnout patterns would help explain the political mood in the region, arguing that participation levels were already falling behind other parts of the country.
“The voter registration in Mt Kenya region is underperforming the rest of the country,” he said.
He attributed the slowdown to what he called a lack of a clear political stake for the region in the current race.
“Let us ask ourselves one question: Why is Mt Kenya underperforming on this voter registration? Because they have no horse in the race,” Kuria stated.
He compared the current situation to previous political cycles, saying Mt Kenya voters felt more represented in past administrations.
“In Kibaki and Uhuru, we had a driver. In Riggy G in 2022, we had a feeling of a co-owner or conductor,” he said.
Kuria also pointed to what he described as changing perceptions among voters in the region regarding political leadership and influence.
“There are some people in Mt Kenya, they are not owners and conductors; their work is to bring people to the matatus, in Kikuyu they are called ‘kamagiras’,” he said.
He added that this perception, he argued, has contributed to a sense of political exclusion among sections of the electorate.
“There is a whole big perception in the Mt Kenya region that we are ‘kamagiras’, we are not going to be drivers or conductors,” Kuria said.
According to him, the belief that key regional leaders may not feature prominently in the 2027 presidential contest is also affecting enthusiasm for voter registration.
“As of now, the perception is that Riggy G is a ‘kamagira’ that he is going to fill the vehicle for the Kalonzos of this world and Matiang’i. The people of Mt Kenya know very well that Rigathi will not be on the ballot,” he said.