Gatundu South MP Gabriel Kagombe has officially cut ties with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), accusing President William Ruto's administration of abandoning the very people who voted it into power.
The outspoken legislator, who was elected on a UDA ticket in 2022, made the announcement during the burial of community leader Phyllis Njoki Kuria at Karangi village in Gatundu.
He declared that he could no longer continue supporting a government that had failed to deliver meaningful development to his constituents despite their overwhelming support for the Kenya Kwanza administration.
Kagombe did not mince his words as he listed the failures he says have left Gatundu South residents frustrated. At the top of his list were the stalled Mau Mau roads, which he said have remained in a sorry state for more than four years.
The deteriorating road network, he argued, had crippled economic activities in the area, especially for farmers struggling to transport their produce to markets.
"The people of Gatundu South have supported this government, but what have they received in return?" Kagombe posed, openly questioning the government's development priorities.
The MP accused the administration of pouring resources into high-profile projects like stadiums, housing programmes, and the Rironi–Mau Summit Road in other parts of the country while allegedly neglecting Gatundu South and the larger Mt. Kenya region.
But it was the plight of tea farmers that seemed to strike a particularly raw nerve with Kagombe, who also serves as the Zone One director at the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA).
He criticised the government over its failure to implement the Guaranteed Minimum Returns (GMR) promised to tea farmers, saying it was all talk and no action.
He singled out the 0.8 per cent export levy and the proposed Ksh.3.85 per kilogramme bulk tea auction levy contained in the Tea Amendment Bill, arguing that such charges would further eat into farmers' already meagre earnings.
According to the MP, tea farmers are already grappling with rising labour and farm input costs while returns from tea farming remain depressingly low.
"Serikali ambayo haifikirii mambo ya majani chai. Serikali ambayo haitambui mkulima wa majani chai. Hiyo serikali yenye inalipisha 0.8 per cent ni lazima iende. Hiyo serikali ambayo inasema itashughulikia mkulima na ni uongo," he stated emphatically.
He did not stop there. Kagombe also took aim at the government's unfulfilled promise on fertiliser subsidies, claiming that Ksh.7 billion meant for farmers had not been paid. "Serikali ambayo inasema itapeana subsidy ya fertiliser, wanatuambia tuende tununue fertiliser watapeana pesa, iko Ksh.7 billion hawajalipa. Hiyo serikali ni lazima iende. Ni serikali ya one-term," he declared.
His decision to leave UDA has reportedly received a warm reception from some residents, who welcomed his move and echoed his sentiments that the constituency had not benefited sufficiently from key development projects despite backing the ruling administration.
Kagombe has, however, not yet disclosed which political party he intends to use to defend his seat in the 2027 General Election. His departure comes just days after he had threatened to defect to the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) over the arrest of Mukurwe-ini MP John Kaguchia, whom he said was entitled to rightful treatment as a member of Parliament.
Kaguchia had been arrested for allegedly making remarks warning Mt Kenya residents of dire consequences if they voted for President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election.
Kagombe accused unnamed officials within government of mishandling the matter in a way that damaged the administration's standing. "Ruto, if you don't release Kaguchia immediately, we will defect to Wamunyoro," Kagombe had stated on August 4, 2026.
As the dust settles on Kagombe's political bombshell, one thing is clear—the Gatundu South MP is not a happy man, and he is making sure the powers that be know exactly why.
0 Comments