Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua (left) and his predecessor Kithure Kindiki at a past event in Nyeri town on April 14, 2023.
Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua on Monday came to the defence of his successor, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, saying he would shield him from political attacks in the Mt Kenya region.
The unexpected olive branch sparked mixed reactions, with some political analysts describing it as a calculated attempt by Mr Gachagua to reinforce his image as the region’s unifying kingpin, while others viewed it as a pragmatic move aimed at protecting Mt Kenya’s collective political interests.
Mr Gachagua, who was impeached in October 2024 after serving for two years as second-in-command before Prof Kindiki replaced him, has for nearly two years been one of the Deputy President’s fiercest critics.
But speaking at his Wamunyoro home in Nyeri on July 20,2026, he instructed his supporters to immediately stop attacking Prof Kindiki politically.
He said the decision followed his assessment of what he described as the “toxic political environment” surrounding the Deputy President.
“As I issue this directive, I want to advise Prof Kindiki as one of our own. Be careful, my brother. The competition around your seat is a threat to your life. I was there. I know,” Mr Gachagua said.
He urged the Deputy President to consider Mt Kenya his political home should circumstances change, while warning his allies against insulting Prof Kindiki.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki speaks during a thanksgiving service for Embu Anglican Diocese at St Mark's Teachers College in Kigari, Embu County on July 19, 2026.
“If you encounter problems in the changing political landscape, welcome back home. You are our son. I am directing all my supporters to spare him political brickbats. Let us give him peace. Let us not help those undermining him bring him down easily. All our political missiles should now be directed at President William Ruto and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen. I don’t want to hear anyone insulting Kindiki,” he said.
The remarks mark a significant shift from Mr Gachagua’s previous stance, during which he repeatedly portrayed Prof Kindiki as a willing participant in what he termed the political persecution of the Mt Kenya region.
Political observers interpreted the move as part of a broader strategy to consolidate the Mt Kenya vote ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Political analyst Stanley Wang’ombe said both leaders stand to benefit from a less confrontational relationship.
“Gachagua needs a united Mt Kenya bloc to pursue his presidential ambitions. Prof Kindiki equally needs the region’s support to strengthen his political bargaining power. Politics is ultimately about interests, and those interests can always be negotiated,” he said.
Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua speaks to the media at the party offices in Nairobi on July 10, 2026.
Mr Wang’ombe said Prof Kindiki had recently adopted a conciliatory tone by urging Mt Kenya leaders to put aside political differences.
According to Mr Wang’ombe, both leaders are confronting different political challenges.
“Mr Gachagua is still battling the legal consequences of his impeachment, while Prof Kindiki continues to struggle for political acceptance in parts of Mt Kenya. Their interests could eventually converge,” he said.
Kikuyu Council of Elders chairman Wachira Kiago welcomed Mr Gachagua’s change of tone, saying it reflected the kind of leadership expected of a regional kingpin.
“You cannot preach division and expect to unite people. Gachagua and Kindiki are both our sons. Politics should never destroy our unity,” he said.
Mr Kiago added that elders were working to promote unity among communities in Central and Eastern Kenya.
“We want the Agikuyu, Aembu, Ameru and Akamba to speak with one voice. It is encouraging to hear Gachagua, Kindiki and Kalonzo Musyoka increasingly talking about unity,” Mr Kiago said.
Even as he softened his position towards Prof Kindiki, Mr Gachagua maintained that some President Ruto allies remained unwelcome in DCP.
Speaking in Kirinyaga on Sunday, he gave Ruto loyalists until the end of the month to defect to DCP.
“Those who have sensed danger after our emphatic Ol Kalou victory have until the end of this month to join us. The doors are open.”
Traitors
He disclosed that a Principal Secretary from Nyeri had already expressed interest in defecting.
“You are welcome, but come during the day when cameras are rolling, and President Ruto can see you crossing over,” the DCP leader said.
Mr Gachagua claimed the official had been among those attempting to undermine the opposition during the Ol Kalou by-election.
However, he insisted not everyone would be welcomed.
He said leaders considered “extreme traitors” would remain permanently excluded, while others would have to seek the endorsement of party members through competitive nominations.
“There are those who crossed the line. Those who actively helped persecute Mt Kenya leaders and betrayed the community’s interests cannot simply walk back. Those who were not radical traitors will face the electorate in party primaries and defend themselves,” he said.
Mr Gachagua argued that DCP’s commanding victory in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election had settled the question of Mt Kenya’s preferred political vehicle.
Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri.
Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri dismissed Mr Gachagua’s remarks as contradictory.
“What exactly is he saying? He welcomes Kindiki but rejects others, including me, and still brands some people outcasts. How does that amount to unity? He remains the king of division. His political future is still clouded by the very politics he claims to be abandoning,” Mr Kiunjuri said.
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