Yes leaders are a good indicator to watch. It is just too early right now to say how many MPs, etc are with Oburu vs Orengos.
MT KENYA I expect Kikuyu to be wholesale DCP-aligned towards end of 2026. Meru & Embu will be usual Munya PNU and Mbus local but PORK will be DCP. Tharaka will likely stick with Kindiki/UDA. If Ruto were to dump Kindiki for ODM there will be protest vote. I am actually not sold by your confidence of Ruto retaining Kindiki. If dwarf can't deliver solid block Ruto might cut his losses.
LUHYA seems palpably rebellious. My reading of why United Opposition is now leaning Kalonzo-Matiang'i is that Uhuru has stopped fence-sitting with Matiang'i made Jubilee deputy party leader. It is easy to conceive Matiang'i is aiming for the sun to land the moon, He is Uhuru horse in the game. You watch Eugene closely - DAP-K is angling for Speaker/CS/etc not PORK or DPORK. I think Luhya will largely remain as-is i.e. no big shifts/defections to & fro the 2 big camps. Why? DAP-K politics of Natembeyas is Luhya/Murembe tawe grievance/populism - very anti-incumbent so that they cannot credibly switch sides without destroying their brand. Besides few Osotsi and Caleb Amisi there is not much bickering to expect. Khalwales, Panyakos will of course go for governor,MP, etc as DAP-K. Shida will be Broad-Based side: UDA vs ODM vs Ford-K zoning will be big war there.
LUO that DPORK maneno is potentially explosive. Even if Ruto dump Kindiki there is still Joho vs Mbadi problem. But I expect rebels/rivals like Oyugi Magwanga to go independent and either back Kalonzo or stay neutral for PORK. Depending on the ground. From the oil scandal with calls for Wandayi to resign you can tell ODM will inherit Ruto's incumbency baggage and will be cornered by Babu-Orengo positioning as reformers. You will note too Babu-Orengo brand make it impossible to join Ruto.
WILD CARD is Ruto move ala Kindiki. Not Babu or Natembeya or Matiang'i - smell the coffee those are gone.
At least we can agree there are indicators to watch as we approach 2022 - and those are mcas, mps, governors, senators - including former - they are best signal of the ground.