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 campaign promises that earned the government overwhelming support in the constituency.
Kagombe, who won his seat on a UDA ticket in 2022, declared that he could no longer align himself with a ruling coalition that consistently neglects local development. Speaking at the burial of community leader Phyllis Njoki Kuria in Karangi village, Kiambu County, the lawmaker highlighted stalled Mau Mau road projects as prime evidence of state neglect, pointing out that four years of inaction have crippled local trade and left farmers struggling to get their produce to market.
The MP criticized the administration’s development choices, calling out a pattern of favoring grand projects elsewhere, such as stadiums, housing developments, and the Rironi–Mau Summit Road, while leaving Gatundu South and the broader Mt. Kenya region behind.
“The people of Gatundu South have supported this government, but what have they received in return?” Kagombe posed.
Kagombe, who also directs Zone One at the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA), turned his focus to the agricultural sector, accusing the state of failing to deliver promised Guaranteed Minimum Returns (GMR) while piling fresh financial burdens onto struggling tea growers. He singled out the existing 0.8 percent export levy and a proposed Ksh.3.85 per kilogram bulk tea auction levy in the Tea Amendment Bill, warning that these deductions directly swallow farmers’ slim margins at a time when labor and input costs continue to soar.
Instead of cushioning growers against erratic international market prices, Kagombe argued, the government keeps advancing policies that threaten the economic survival of tea farming altogether.
“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.
“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’.”
Navigating his political future, Kagombe made it clear that staying close to the president directly contradicts the will of his voters, leaving him no choice but to break ranks.
“What would I be doing as Kagombe with William Ruto if I want to win the Gatundu South seat?” he posed. He shared that residents explicitly expressed their dissatisfaction with the current regime while maintaining their backing for him personally.
“I am a representative of the people of Gatundu South. They have told me they have no problem with me but this man, Ruto, hatutaki huyu mtu, hatutaki maneno yake, hatutaki hii serikali,” Kagombe said.
Maintaining that effective leadership requires reflecting grassroots demands over party lines, Kagombe reiterated that his break from the administration stems entirely from constituent pressure rather than personal hostility.
“So you ask yourself, why would I lose a seat or fail to represent what the people are saying?” he said. “It’s not personal with Ruto. It’s what the people have said, and the people have a reason why they said it.”
Ultimately, the MP affirmed that the interests of Gatundu South residents and tea farmers, not party discipline, will guide his political path forward.
