Former Deputy President and Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua is taking his political mobilisation into one of the country’s most closely watched battlegrounds, with a two-day tour of Nakuru this weekend aimed at testing the party’s appeal beyond its traditional Mount Kenya base.
Mr Gachagua and a team of opposition leaders will begin the tour in Naivasha on Friday, August 14, before moving through Nakuru Town East and Nakuru Town West constituencies. On Saturday, the team is expected to visit Njoro, Elburgon, Turi, Molo, Kibunja and Rongai.
The tour comes at a critical stage in the realignment of political forces ahead of the 2027 General Election, with Mr Gachagua increasingly stepping up grassroots mobilisation as he seeks to build a national coalition capable of challenging President William Ruto and the Kenya Kwanza administration.
Nakuru will be particularly important to the former deputy president because of its unique political character. Often described as “Mt Kenya in the diaspora,” the county sits at the intersection of the Mount Kenya and Rift Valley voting blocs and has historically attracted intense competition among national political formations.
For DCP, therefore, the Nakuru tour is more than another stop in Mr Gachagua’s countrywide mobilisation drive. It will provide an early test of whether the political momentum generated in parts of Mount Kenya can be translated into a county whose electorate is significantly more diverse and whose politics have traditionally been shaped by shifting alliances.
Ol Kalou MP Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru Ngotho along Harambee Avenue, Nairobi, on July 28, 2026. He's accompanied by DCP colleagues as he heads to take oath of office.
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group
The visit also comes less than a month after DCP scored a major electoral victory in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election in Nyandarua, where its candidate, Sammy Douglas Waweru Kamau, garnered 35,440 votes against UDA’s Samuel Muchina, who received 5,450 votes.
The victory has given the party fresh confidence as it seeks to expand its structures and recruit political leaders ahead of 2027.
In Nakuru, one of the key figures in that expansion is Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara, a founding member of DCP and one of Mr Gachagua’s most vocal allies in the county.
Ms Kihara’s decision to openly align herself with the former deputy president has brought her into increasing confrontation with the government. In July 2025, dozens of officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, backed by local police, raided her Maraigushu home in Naivasha and arrested her.
Ms Kihara has repeatedly described the incident and subsequent legal battles as political persecution linked to her loyalty to Mr Gachagua, insisting that the pressure would not deter her from advancing DCP’s agenda.
Speaking in an interview, Ms Kihara said the Nakuru tour was primarily intended to strengthen the party’s grassroots structures and give residents an opportunity to interact directly with its leadership.
“This is purely a meet-the-people tour. I do not expect him to do anything different from what he has been doing in other counties. The purpose is to popularise the party and interact with Mwananchi. We are currently holding a planning meeting. Residents are eagerly waiting for hima ndwe just urge them to come out in large numbers,” she said.
She said Mr Gachagua was also expected to officially open a DCP office in Nakuru Town as the party builds its presence across the county.
The MP said the previous DCP tour had not covered several areas, including Molo and Njoro, because of time constraints, prompting the party leader to promise to return and complete the mobilisation.
Ms Kihara also called on security agencies to provide adequate protection during the tour, saying DCP supporters had a constitutional right to assemble and market their party.
She urged young people not to allow themselves to be used to cause political violence, citing the recent deaths of three youths following unrest in Ol Kalou.
Leaders who have ditched the ruling UDA from left: Gatundu South MP Gabriel Kagombe, Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi, Lamu Woman Rep Muthoni Marube, Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata and Nyandarua Governor Kiarie Badilisha.
Photo credit: Nation
“We are telling Kenyans this is a free country. Let Riggy G speak to the people and promote the party without interference. We are just praying nobody will organise goons to disrupt our meetings, but we are asking the police to do their work professionally in maintaining law and order,” she said.
DCP official Dr Peter Mbae described the Nakuru tour as an important step in consolidating the party’s support following its Ol Kalou victory.
He said the by-election had demonstrated that DCP could win elections through peaceful democratic processes and that voters could protect their choices at the ballot.
But beyond political mobilisation, Dr Mbae said the party would use the Nakuru tour to listen to residents and gather views that could eventually shape its manifesto ahead of the 2027 election.
Nakuru, he said, presented an opportunity for DCP to engage an electorate drawn from different parts of the country and promote a message of peaceful coexistence and national unity.
“The Ol Kalou victory showed people that it is possible to win elections and that every vote counts. Nakuru is home to people from every part of the country. The party leader will emphasise that everybody has a desire to live peacefully here,” he said.
Dr Mbae said the party would seek views from residents at every stop, with the concerns raised expected to inform its policy priorities.
The planned visit has also drawn interest from UDA-aligned leaders in the county, some of whom have welcomed Mr Gachagua while warning against divisive politics.
Biashara Ward MCA Fadhili Msuri said Mr Gachagua had a constitutional right to visit Nakuru and popularise his party but urged him and his supporters to conduct peaceful campaigns.
“Nakuru is a cosmopolitan county, and anyone seeking an elective seat or popularising a political party is welcome. However, we urge all leaders and their supporters to conduct peaceful campaigns and refrain from using tribal rhetoric, hate speech or propaganda that could disrupt political meetings or divide residents,” he said.
The call for restraint is significant in a county with a history of politically charged competition and where ethnic mobilisation has previously contributed to tension during election periods.
Political analyst Joseph Omondi said Mr Gachagua could find a receptive audience among sections of the Mount Kenya community living in Nakuru, given the historical voting patterns of Kikuyu communities in the county.
However, he warned that the increasing political mobilisation could also deepen ethnic and political divisions if leaders failed to keep their campaigns issue-based.
“In Kenya, elections are never issue-based but about the tribal kingpins, and we are worried about the polarising politics we are currently witnessing. Nakuru is not new to political violence and this is something we should avoid at all costs,” he said.
DCP has already attracted a number of elected leaders in Nakuru, signalling the party’s efforts to build a grassroots network ahead of 2027.
Among the MCAs who have shifted to the party are Lare’s Philip Wanjohi Ndiritu, Turi’s John Mwangi Macharia, Maella’s Jane Wanjiru Gituku, Kiamaina’s Paul Kipkorir Tuwei and Elementaita’s George Wang’ang’a Mwaura.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. His candiudate in the Ol Kalou by-election defeated President William Ruto's (inset) candidate by over 30,000 votes.
Others include Kihingo MCA Simon Kamau Karanja, Shabaab MCA Wathiai, Mai Mahiu’s Eliud Kamau Chege, Elburgon’s Peter Njuguna Mwaura and Subukia’s Isabella Makori, alongside nominated MCAs Ann Njaguara and Bethsheba Kerubo.
The defections have added to the interest surrounding Mr Gachagua’s tour, with local politicians increasingly positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 contest.
For ordinary residents, however, the political mobilisation will be judged against issues affecting their daily lives.
Nakuru town boda boda rider Kevin Kimutai said residents would want to hear concrete proposals on the economy, employment, the cost of living and development rather than attacks on political opponents.
Mr Peter Kimani, another resident, said politicians should use the campaign period to address issues affecting ordinary citizens.
“Nakuru is a cosmopolitan county and we want leaders who can bring people together. We will listen to him but ultimately we will look at what his politics mean for ordinary residents, not just criticising other leaders,” he said.
Nakuru County Commander Samuel Boit said the security agencies were awaiting formal notification from DCP before making arrangements for the planned political activities.
“We have not been notified of the rallies; we are still waiting. Once they do that, we will plan on the security issues,” he said.
With Mr Gachagua expected to address thousands of supporters across the county, his weekend tour will be closely watched not only for the size of the crowds but also for the message he carries into a county that could prove crucial in determining the shape of the opposition alliance — and the 2027 presidential contest.
