NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 19 – Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has escalated his political offensive in the Mt Kenya region, warning that he will not support politicians seeking elective positions under his party’s banner without his backing.
Speaking amid an intensifying contest for the Mt Kenya vote ahead of the 2027 General Election, the former Deputy President also accused the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) of targeting political opponents through tax demands, saying he had been told that the taxman was looking for him.
“Everyone who has money has received letters from KRA. I hear that they are also looking for me, but there is nothing left that they can take because they took everything KRA, unless they arrest me, I have nothing. Maybe they can take Pastor Dorcas or our children,” Gachagua said.
Gachagua did not identify the specific KRA demands he was referring to, but his remarks come amid heightened political tensions between the former Deputy President and the Kenya Kwanza administration, which he served in before his removal from office in 2024.
The Former Deputy President claimed that KRA Chairperson Ndiritu Muriithi who intends to vie for the governors seat in Laikipia was on a personal vendetta.
Gachagua declared that he would not allow Muriithi to join DCP and seek the Laikipia governorship, accusing him of assuming that residents could be influenced through tax pressure.
“He thinks that Laikipia residents are stupid; that he can hurt them using KRA, then come and be elected as governor. How do you persecute a community and you want to become their leader?” Gachagua posed.
The DCP leader also warned Laikipia residents against supporting Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri, whom he labelled a traitor over his political allegiance to President William Ruto.
He also took aim at politicians seeking to associate themselves with DCP as they position themselves for the 2027 elections, warning that the party would not automatically endorse individuals merely because they had established relationships with its leadership.
Gachagua’s remarks comes amid increasingly competitive struggle for influence in Mt Kenya, a region expected to play a decisive role in the 2027 presidential contest.
The region’s political landscape has become increasingly fragmented since the 2022 elections, with President Ruto seeking to retain support among his former Mt Kenya political base while Gachagua works to consolidate a separate political constituency for the opposition.
Gachagua’s strategy has involved building DCP and cultivating alliances with other opposition formations as he seeks to position himself as a leading voice for the region.
However, the opposition camp itself has increasingly exhibited what analysts may describe as a form of sibling rivalry, with allied parties and political movements competing for the same constituencies and regional voting blocs.
The competition has complicated efforts to establish a unified opposition front ahead of 2027, with individual parties seeking to preserve their identities and bargaining power while simultaneously exploring possible alliances.
For Mt Kenya, the contest is particularly significant because political loyalties that once appeared relatively consolidated have become more fluid.
Ruto’s administration continues to court the region through government programmes and political mobilisation, while Gachagua has intensified efforts to rally voters around what he describes as the region’s interests.
The resulting contest is no longer simply a battle between government and opposition. It is increasingly a struggle among politicians within and outside the opposition over who will control the political machinery capable of delivering the Mt Kenya vote.
He said DCP would conduct a transparent nomination process before issuing party tickets to candidates seeking elective positions.
The clarification comes as politicians seeking parliamentary, gubernatorial and other elective positions increasingly make public appearances with influential party leaders as they attempt to signal their political standing ahead of the 2027 polls.
Gachagua’s insistence on party nominations also points to the delicate balancing act facing DCP as it expands its political footprint.
The party must accommodate politicians with existing support bases while maintaining control over its nomination process and preventing multiple aspirants from claiming the party’s backing before nominations are held.
The emerging rivalry could become particularly pronounced in areas where opposition parties have overlapping ambitions.
While parties may be united in opposing the Kenya Kwanza administration, their individual interests could collide when it comes to choosing candidates for specific constituencies and counties.
This has created an unusual dynamic in which opposition parties are simultaneously allies at the national level and competitors on the ground.
For Gachagua, however, securing a strong foothold in Mt Kenya remains central to his political strategy as the 2027 contest takes shape.
His latest remarks signal that he intends to exercise considerable influence over who carries the DCP ticket in the region while warning voters against politicians he considers aligned with President Ruto.
