Wamuchomba Quits UDA, Says She Will Defend Githunguri Seat on Another Ticket

Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba has officially quit the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA), declaring that she will defend her seat in the 2027 General Election on another party's ticket.

Speaking at a press conference at Parliament Buildings on Thursday, the two-term legislator said her decision followed soul-searching and consultations with voters, community leaders and the church. She said her conscience would no longer let her associate with leaders who show no regard for other communities.

Wamuchomba singled out Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, whose remarks she said targeted the Mount Kenya community. She said she had waited for the government to act, but only some MPs were arrested over statements similar to the Cabinet Secretary's. She accused the administration of double speak and said her calls for disciplinary action had gone unheeded.

"I am not going to align myself with the UDA government," she said, adding that she will neither campaign nor seek any seat through the party.

The exit follows her August 31 threat to withdraw support for President William Ruto if Duale and nominated MP Joseph Wainaina were not arrested over alleged hate speech.

The MP did not say which party she will join. She said she will first consult her constituents, who she says will guide her choice of political vehicle. She was categorical that she is staying in elective politics and will seek a third consecutive term.

Her departure is the latest turn in a rocky relationship with UDA. Elected on its ticket in 2022, she said in February 2025 that she would not vie under the party again, citing unmet promises to farmers, heavy taxation and mandatory payslip deductions. She left the party at the height of the Gen-Z protests, then rejoined in January 2026, telling a State House meeting that she wanted to focus on development. She was once a staunch ally of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua before the two fell out.

Her move adds to the wave of defections from UDA in the Mount Kenya region as the 2027 race draws closer.

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