‘Forget Mt Kenya’: Kaluma Issues Stark 2027 Warning to Ruto After Shock Ol Kalou Defeat
President William Ruto has been told to abandon hopes of winning back the politically influential Mt Kenya region in the 2027 General Election after a senior Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) lawmaker declared that the mountain had already made its choice.
Homa Bay Town Member of Parliament Peter Kaluma claimed President Ruto should remove Mt Kenya from his electoral calculations, arguing that the region is unlikely to reward him with significant support despite backing him overwhelmingly during the 2022 General Election.
Speaking during an interview with a local radio station on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, the outspoken legislator said the recently concluded Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election had exposed what he described as a dramatic political shift in the vote-rich region.
“Mt Kenya will not vote for William Ruto in 2027. That I am sure of. He should remove Mt Kenya from his calculations. The highest he can get is 15 per cent,” Kaluma declared.
The ODM MP said he has consistently shared the same assessment within the broad-based government, insisting that the President risks wasting political resources by attempting to reclaim a region whose support he believes has significantly diminished.
According to Kaluma, the government’s heavy investment in the Ol Kalou by-election—including senior political mobilization and campaign resources—failed to translate into victory, despite Nyandarua County being part of the Mt Kenya bloc that overwhelmingly supported President Ruto four years ago.
He argued that the by-election outcome should serve as a wake-up call for the Head of State to redirect his political focus toward regions where he still commands substantial goodwill instead of concentrating on reclaiming Mt Kenya.
Gachagua points to Ol Kalou as warning sign
Kaluma’s remarks echo sentiments recently expressed by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who has repeatedly argued that President Ruto faces an uphill battle in the Mt Kenya region ahead of the 2027 polls.
Gachagua described the Ol Kalou by-election as a political barometer, claiming that by-election results in Mt Kenya have historically reflected the direction voters eventually take during a General Election.
According to the former Deputy President, the outcome in Ol Kalou signals a growing shift in political sentiment that could significantly affect President Ruto’s re-election prospects in 2027.
Nabwera offers different strategy
However, Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera has offered a different assessment, arguing that President Ruto can still build a winning coalition even if his support in Mt Kenya weakens.
Speaking during an interview with K24 TV on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, Nabwera urged the President to intensify efforts to consolidate support in regions where he has recently made political gains.
He specifically pointed to ODM strongholds, saying the President should focus on strengthening his foothold in Luo Nyanza, Kisii, the Coast region, Western Kenya, North Eastern, and eventually solidifying his traditional Rift Valley base.
“The president has to consolidate ODM strongholds. He has to consolidate the Coast, and he’s doing very well at the Coast. He has to consolidate Nyanza. He’s doing very well in Luo Nyanza. He has to work in Kisii, consolidate the West, and also work on the North Eastern region before consolidating the Rift Valley,” Nabwera said.
The contrasting remarks underscore the growing debate over President Ruto’s electoral roadmap following the Ol Kalou by-election, which has triggered renewed scrutiny over whether his 2022 coalition remains intact as the country edges closer to the 2027 General Election.
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