Gatundu South Member of Parliament Gabriel Kagombe has publicly explained his departure from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), attributing the move to pressure from his constituents who oppose President William Ruto and his administration.
Kagombe emphasized that his political survival depends on representing the views of the people in Gatundu South. He questioned the logic of aligning with President Ruto if it meant alienating voters in his constituency.
“What would I be doing as Kagombe with William Ruto if I want to win the Gatundu South seat?” he asked.
The MP clarified that while his constituents do not have personal issues with him, they reject Ruto and his government. He stressed the responsibility of elected leaders to reflect the electorate's wishes, even if it requires breaking ranks with their sponsoring party.
“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 stated.
He further insisted that his decision was not driven by personal differences with President Ruto but by the political stance of his constituents.
In addition to political considerations, Kagombe linked his position to his role as a director at the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA). He highlighted infrastructure challenges facing tea farmers, particularly poor road conditions linking farms to factories.
“I have appropriated so much money of the farmers’ money to fix the roads where the government has failed to fix,” he revealed, accusing the government of neglecting road projects despite awarding contracts.
Kagombe claimed some contractors abandoned projects after removing materials, leaving roads inaccessible and frustrating farmers who rely on these routes to transport their produce.
“Government comes and says, ‘We’ll do tarmac for you, we’ll fix these roads for you,’ and then you give a contractor the contracts. They come and remove all the materials and it’s now four years,” he alleged.
The MP affirmed that his political decisions will continue to prioritize the interests of Gatundu South residents and tea farmers over party allegiance.
