Ichung’wah, Kindiki back calls to carve Kiambu out of the larger Mount Kenya bloc.

Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki have thrown their weight behind a growing push to have Kiambu County recognised as a distinct region, separate from the larger Mount Kenya bloc.

Speaking at State House on Wednesday, August 27, the two leaders argued that the move would strengthen Kiambu’s claim to greater national resources and position it for economic growth, particularly as Thika Town eyes elevation to city status.

Ichung’wah said Kiambu had for years been grouped under Mt Kenya for “political and cultural convenience” despite having a distinct identity of its own.

“People of Kiambu are just a small representation of the greater county. We have been christened the people of Mt Kenya, yet the mountains we see are Kilimambogo and Ngong Hills. Kiambu is a region by itself,” he said

Kindiki echoed those sentiments, describing the push as both timely and empowering.

“For me, I endorse those saying Kiambu is a region by itself. Kiambu ni fire, si fire!” the Deputy President declared.

Supporters of the proposal argue that recognising Kiambu as a stand-alone region would help rebalance revenue allocation, given its high population density and rapid urbanisation. With more than 1.4 million registered voters, a figure equal to the combined voter population of Nyeri, Murang’a, Laikipia and Kirinyaga, Kiambu leaders say the county’s size and economic weight cannot be ignored.

During a recent community engagement forum in Karatu on August 6, several MPs, including Gatundu South’s Gabriel Kagombe, Kiambu Woman Representative Anne Wamuratha and Thika Town MP Alice Ng’ang’a, rallied behind the proposal. Gatundu North MP Njoroge Karuria stressed that Kiambu should not always be lumped under Mt Kenya whenever President William Ruto visits the region.

“Kiambu must be recognised as a distinct region with its own development agenda, its own ministers, principal secretaries, and budgetary allocations,” Karuria said, adding that Kiambu’s political influence does not stretch beyond the Chania River.

The calls are expected to fuel fresh debate on regional identity, resource allocation, and political influence in central Kenya, with leaders already hinting at a broader campaign to formalise the proposal.