Mutahi Kagwe Reveals Why He Didn't Vote for Ruto as President During the 2022 General Elections

Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture Mutahi Kagwe has disclosed that he did not cast his vote for William Ruto in the 2022 Kenyan presidential elections. 

Kagwe, who served as Health Cabinet Secretary under former President Uhuru Kenyatta, attributed his decision to his alignment with the opposition at the time.

"I did not vote for President Ruto because I was in opposition," Kagwe stated during a recent public address, as reported by local media outlets.

The revelation comes at a time when Kenya's political landscape is undergoing significant shifts, particularly following the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in 2025, which has reshaped opposition dynamics and forced new alliances across the board.

The 2022 general elections were a pivotal moment in Kenyan politics, marked by a fierce contest between then-Deputy President William Ruto, heading the Kenya Kwanza coalition, and Raila Odinga, backed by the Azimio la Umoja alliance.

Outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta, Kagwe's former boss, openly endorsed Odinga, creating a rift with his deputy, Ruto. 

This endorsement divided the influential Kikuyu community in the Mount Kenya region, with some viewing it as a betrayal of Ruto, who had been instrumental in Kenyatta's previous victories.

Kagwe, a prominent figure from Nyeri County in the Mount Kenya heartland, aligned himself with Kenyatta's stance. 

Reports from the time highlighted the split within the community, where opinion was sharply divided over Kenyatta's decision to back Odinga instead of Ruto.

"Why is the president taking sides in this election? However bad his deputy was, he should have remained neutral," one local lawyer remarked in 2022, encapsulating the tensions.

Ruto ultimately won the presidency with 50.49% of the vote, defeating Odinga by a narrow margin. 

However, the election exposed deep ethnic and regional fault lines, with Mount Kenya voters playing a crucial role in Ruto's victory despite Kenyatta's opposition.

Kagwe's admission sheds light on his personal political choices during that turbulent period. 

After the elections, he stepped away from the limelight but resurfaced in late 2024 when President Ruto nominated him, along with other figures like Lee Kinyanjui and William Kabogo, in a cabinet reshuffle aimed at bolstering support in the Mount Kenya region.

This move was seen as an olive branch to former opponents, amid criticisms that Ruto's administration was losing ground in key areas.