Last month, in the lead-up to the President’s visit to the mountain region, a group of leaders from Kirinyaga County embarked on a relief food distribution mission. While one might have expected their press conference to focus on revitalizing Kirinyaga as a food basket, the central topic of discussion was surprisingly Raila and their discontentment with an alleged handshake as this is what appeals to us.

Some might label the Mountain leadership as ‘Tugege,’ but I’m convinced that several of them possess remarkable intelligence. Take, for instance, the Kirinyaga County MP, who stands out as one of the brightest young legal minds in parliament and beyond. However, even she has found herself caught up in the complexities of Mt. Kenya cheap politics. Curious why?

Who wields influence over Mount Kenya Politics? In other regions, respected leaders and community pillars (“Itugi”), provide direction for their areas. Take the Maasai Community, for instance. Here, it’s the boda boda industry, churches, market women, and women’s groups that shape our political landscape. Even well-educated individuals often inquire about whom to vote for in what they deem seemingly insignificant seats.

Manifestos are not a mandatory element in our region. If you closely observed the last election, you’d realize that the only manifesto that mattered was “Ruto.” As such, any politician aiming to thrive in our region must therefore align themselves with these influencers of our mountain politics! This is why our leaders mask their academic qualifications with amusing pseudonyms like “Wamatangi” and even incorporate them into our National IDs.

I can’t help but miss the days of Kibaki when pillars in Othaya would identify and nurture young leaders, or the times of the late Michuki. However, it’s undeniable that those days are long gone, and this is our new reality. If anyone is keen on taking our region back to its former glory, they must first seek to influence the influencers.