When asked whether he was the undisputed Mt Kenya kingpin during a round-table media interview a fortnight ago, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki dismissed the notion outright.

Kindiki, who ascended to the second highest office largely due to the political missteps of his predecessor, Rigathi Gachagua, was keen to distance himself from being branded a regional leader.

Instead, he emphasised his intention to heal the divisions caused by his forerunner. "Which office is that?" Kindiki retorted when K24 news anchor Joel Chacha asked if he now stood as the undisputed Mt Kenya leader following Gachagua's unceremonious ouster.

Many had previously viewed Gachagua as the heir to Mt Kenya's political mantle.