NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 11-Former Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has urged former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to slow down in his apparent bid to assume the mantle of Mt Kenya political kingpin, warning him against prematurely dislodging retired President Uhuru Kenyatta.Kuria said Gachagua should be patient and allow Uhuru to retain his position as the region’s political kingpin, while taking a swipe at what he described as attacks directed at the former President and his allies.“I have seen that Rigathi Gachagua has unleashed all his attack dogs on my brother, President Uhuru Kenyatta, and his allies,” Kuria said.He urged Gachagua to “come slowly”, drawing a biblical parallel to emphasise the need for patience in the pursuit of political power.“Even after Samuel anointed David from the House of Jesse to be King, David patiently waited for 22 years before being sworn in as the King,” Kuria said.“Relax, my brother. One Muthamaki at a time. For now, it’s Uhuru. Unless you resurrect John Michuki.”Kuria’s remarks point to the increasingly visible contest over political influence in the Mt Kenya region ahead of the 2027 General Election, with Gachagua positioning himself as a key voice among the region’s voters.Gachagua, who served as Deputy President from 2022 until his removal from office in 2024, has increasingly presented himself as a defender of the interests of the Mt Kenya region.Uhuru, who served as President between 2013 and 2022, remains an influential figure within the region’s political establishment despite largely keeping away from active frontline politics since leaving office.This comes days PNU party leader Peter Munya and his DP counterpart Justin Muturi pushed back against Gachagua’s reported efforts to bring several Mt Kenya parties under his Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), arguing that no single leader should dictate the region’s political direction.The disagreement centres on Gachagua’s call for parties including the Party of National Unity (PNU), Umoja na Maendeleo and other outfits to dissolve and join DCP. Munya, who leads PNU, has rejected what he sees as a push towards a single political vehicle, insisting that Mt Kenya leaders should retain the freedom to operate through different parties as they negotiate alliances ahead of the polls.The party dispute also exposes a deeper struggle for influence within the region. Gachagua is seeking to consolidate his position as the leading political voice of Mt Kenya, while Munya and other leaders are resisting the idea that the region’s political machinery should be placed under his control. The battle is therefore not merely about party logos but who will have the authority to negotiate Mt Kenya’s interests and determine its political direction in 2027.For Munya, maintaining PNU as an independent vehicle gives him political room as he seeks to recapture the Meru governorship, a contest that is already shaping up as a major battle in the region. Meanwhile, Gachagua’s DCP strategy is aimed at building a wider political base beyond his traditional support network, making the competing party-building projects an important subplot in the broader Mt Kenya succession battle.