By TWV Political Desk
In what appears to be a deepening rift within the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA), sources allege that Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire’s efforts to secure an audience with President William Ruto yesterday proved fruitless. Sources claim the President was dismayed by her public criticism during the recent Madaraka Day celebrations and consequently declined to meet her.
The fallout has revealed simmering tensions at the heart of the party, especially in the politically sensitive Mount Kenya East region. According to insiders, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki was then mandated to fill the void, particularly in response to The Weekly Vision article outlining an alleged plot by senior UDA officials to remove Mbarire as party chairperson.
Kindiki reportedly arranged for Mbarire to be airlifted by helicopter from Embu to his Karen residence. A high-level meeting, which included Embu County Assembly Majority Leader Peter Muriithi, followed, aiming to persuade Mbarire not to resign from the UDA party in protest.
The Deputy President later released a statement describing the encounter as a routine consultation among party officials. However, political analysts and party insiders view the meeting as a strategic response to mounting unrest and internal fractures that threaten UDA’s stability ahead of the 2027 elections.
Sources reveal that before her Madaraka Day outburst, Mbarire had learned of a clandestine meeting among Kindiki, Embu Senator Alexander Mundigi, and other local MPs, from which she was conspicuously excluded. This perceived betrayal is believed to have fuelled her public grievances.
According to intelligence assessments cited by party insiders, removing Mbarire at this juncture would risk alienating a key bloc in Mount Kenya East. Kindiki, acting on this information, reportedly decided that mending ties was a more prudent approach.
Despite reconciliation efforts, sources claim that President Ruto and his deputy are considering a leadership reshuffle to revitalise the party’s image in the region. The plan, allegedly spurred by dissatisfaction with Mbarire’s influence and perceived alignment with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, proposes reallocating top UDA positions to reflect broader national representation.
The current arrangement, with both the Deputy Party Leader and National Chairperson from the same region, contradicts the party’s aspirations for a more inclusive national outlook. Insiders suggest that Mbarire’s position has already been earmarked for reassignment, a move she has vowed to resist.
During her Madaraka Day speech, Mbarire issued a defiant warning to those seeking her removal, stating she would not go down without a fight. Her pointed remarks, delivered amid speculation over her waning support in UDA’s upper ranks, were reportedly the final straw for President Ruto, prompting his decision to avoid a direct meeting.
Political commentators have questioned why Mbarire, a senior party figure, was granted an audience only with the Deputy President rather than the party leader. The snub is widely interpreted as a sign of her diminishing standing within the UDA hierarchy.
Adding further intrigue, sources suggest that Mbarire’s earlier hospitality toward Ruto, ahead of Gachagua’s controversial impeachment, had already strained relations. During that period, her perceived sympathy for the former Deputy President further alienated her from the President’s inner circle.
While the Deputy President has sought to downplay the episode, the unfolding developments paint a picture of a party grappling with internal realignment and regional balancing acts. Whether Mbarire can weather this political storm or is ultimately sidelined remains to be seen, but the United Democratic Alliance is entering a new phase of internal contestation, with potential implications for its future cohesion.
