Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot has rejected former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s claim to significant support among the Kipsigis community, saying the South Rift remains firmly behind President William Ruto. Cheruiyot made the remarks on Thursday, September 10, during a political gathering in Kericho, where he challenged Gachagua’s assertion that he had secured votes in the region. The senator later led supporters in chants backing Ruto for a second term, including “Tutam” and “Four Term”, in a direct response to Gachagua’s political messaging.

“For a long time, you have been lying to Kenyans that you have votes in Kericho. Do they have? Listen and listen well, Wamunyoro, here in Kericho we have declared that it is two term,” Cheruiyot said, according to remarks delivered at the event. Cheruiyot’s comments reflect the growing contest among political leaders seeking to influence voters in the Rift Valley ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The Kericho senator said the Kipsigis community and the wider South Rift had backed Ruto’s re-election bid, disputing claims that Gachagua had made political gains in the area. Kericho is part of the South Rift, a region that has traditionally been associated with Ruto’s political support. The area remains strategically important as rival political groups begin building alliances and testing their influence ahead of the next election. Cheruiyot, who represents Kericho in the Senate, is also the Senate Majority Leader and has been a prominent defender of the Kenya Kwanza administration. His remarks were aimed at reinforcing Ruto’s standing in the region and countering efforts by rival political figures to present themselves as credible alternatives among voters in the South Rift.

During the gathering, Cheruiyot also urged President Ruto to allow him and other leaders to respond to political criticism directed at the administration. He specifically asked the President to delegate the task of answering Gachagua and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, who have both been involved in political mobilisation and criticism of the government. Gachagua served as Ruto’s deputy president before the two fell out politically. He has since been building a separate political platform through the Democracy for Citizens Party, commonly known as DCP. His political activities have included meetings and mobilisation efforts aimed at expanding his support beyond his traditional base in Central Kenya.

The competing claims over support in Kericho and the wider South Rift have not yet been tested through an election. Political rallies, public declarations and crowd chants can demonstrate the position of participating leaders and supporters, but they do not independently establish the level of support a candidate commands among the wider electorate. The dispute nevertheless illustrates the importance of the region in Kenya’s emerging 2027 political contest. Leaders aligned with Ruto are seeking to retain his traditional support base, while rival camps are attempting to establish networks and demonstrate that they can attract voters in areas historically associated with the President. For now, Cheruiyot’s message is that Kericho remains behind Ruto. Gachagua’s competing claim signals an effort to challenge that position before the election campaign formally begins.