Kapseret Member of Parliament Oscar Sudi has dismissed claims by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua that he can marshal seven million votes from the Mt. Kenya region in the 2027 General Election, arguing that official electoral data does not support the assertion.

The outspoken legislator accused Gachagua of making exaggerated political declarations, insisting that the numbers being cited are inconsistent with the results of the 2022 General Election and the current voter registration figures.

According to Sudi, the total votes cast across the Mt. Kenya region in the 2022 presidential election amounted to approximately 3.8 million votes, combining ballots received by both President William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

He said his calculation included votes from cosmopolitan counties such as Kiambu, Nakuru and Laikipia, in addition to traditional Mt. Kenya voting blocs, to provide what he described as a comprehensive picture of the region's electoral strength.

Sudi further noted that since the 2022 General Election, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has registered about 527,000 new voters in the region, maintaining that even with the additional registrations, the figures remain well below the seven million votes claimed by Gachagua.

Based on those numbers, the legislator argued that there is no realistic scenario in which the former Deputy President could deliver more than four million votes, even if every eligible voter in the region backed a single presidential candidate.

The Kapseret MP also criticized what he described as a common political tactic of comparing the number of registered voters in one region with the number of actual votes cast in another, saying such comparisons create a misleading perception of electoral dominance.

He maintained that political discussions should distinguish between registered voters and ballots cast, insisting that election projections must be based on verifiable statistics rather than political rhetoric.

Sudi's remarks come amid heightened political activity as leaders begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 General Election, with both allies of President William Ruto and opposition figures seeking to consolidate support across key voting blocs.

Gachagua has recently intensified his campaign in the Mt. Kenya region, arguing that the vote-rich bloc will play a decisive role in determining Kenya's next president. His allies have maintained that the region remains one of the country's most influential electoral constituencies and will negotiate politically as a united front.

The exchange between the two leaders reflects the growing battle over the influence of the Mt. Kenya vote, with political leaders increasingly relying on voter statistics and regional arithmetic to bolster their campaigns as the race to State House gathers momentum.

With more than a year before the next General Election, debates over voter numbers, coalition building and regional voting patterns are expected to intensify as political parties position themselves for what promises to be a highly competitive contest.