NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 17- Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has declared the outcome of the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election the beginning of the end of the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in the Mt Kenya region, urging voters to reject all serving UDA lawmakers ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Addressing supporters after the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) candidate Sammy Kamau Waweru won the hotly contested by-election, Gachagua described the victory as a historic political turning point that signaled a dramatic shift in the region’s political allegiance.
“For the avoidance of doubt, this by-election marks the death of UDA in this region,” Gachagua declared.
He argued that the victory demonstrated that President William Ruto had lost the confidence of Mt Kenya voters despite deploying senior government officials, rolling out development projects and campaigning extensively in the constituency.
According to Gachagua, the Ol Kalou contest was more than a parliamentary race, saying it served as a “dress rehearsal” for the 2027 General Election.
He claimed the electorate had rejected what he termed attempts to influence the outcome through state resources, money and intimidation.
“The people of Ol Kalou have shown that money, violence and state machinery cannot alter the will of determined voters,” he said.
Gachagua further urged Mt Kenya residents to vote out UDA leaders, arguing that the party no longer represented the region’s interests.
He claimed President Ruto was already plotting to introduce new political vehicles and proxy candidates in the region after allegedly realising that the UDA brand had become unpopular.
“We know he intends to introduce different coloured wheelbarrows because his allies know they cannot survive under the UDA banner. We also know he will sponsor presidential candidates in the mountain to divide our vote, but the people are no longer easy to deceive,” he said.
The former deputy president maintained that DCP had now become the region’s preferred political party, drawing parallels with previous by-elections that paved the way for the rise of former ruling parties.
He noted that The National Alliance (TNA) gained momentum after the Kangema by-election ahead of the 2013 elections, while UDA emerged as Mt Kenya’s dominant party following victories in the Juja, Rurii and Kiambaa by-elections before the 2022 polls.
“DCP has now delivered its first Member of Parliament in Ol Kalou. Today, DCP is the party of choice in the mountain,” he said.
The former deputy president said the party was expanding nationally and aimed to field candidates in all 47 counties in the 2027 elections, targeting at least 20 governors, 20 senators, 145 MPs and 720 Members of County Assembly.
During his address, Gachagua also issued an apology to Kenyans, saying Mt Kenya had played a major role in helping President Ruto ascend to power in 2022.
“We are sorry. We made a fatal mistake and we are committed to correcting it,” he said, adding that the region was working to mobilise millions of votes to remove the Kenya Kwanza administration from office in the next election.
Gachagua also levelled a series of serious allegations against the government over the conduct of the by-election, accusing state agencies of violence, intimidation and misuse of public resources.
He alleged that one person was killed, dozens injured and scores of women sexually assaulted during the polls, while accusing senior government officials of orchestrating the violence.
The allegations have not been independently verified, and the government has previously denied involvement in election-related violence.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has since ordered investigations into armed masked men who disrupted voting in parts of Ol Kalou.
