Rigathi Gachagua’s political playbook has changed very little only the target has shifted.
In 2022, Gachagua was the ultimate kingmaker. As William Ruto’s running mate, he weaponised Mt Kenya grievances against Uhuru Kenyatta’s “dynasty”, mobilised massive Kikuyu votes through ethnic solidarity, and single-handedly funded and delivered the region to Kenya Kwanza.
He used fiery rhetoric, party-hopping pressure, and promises of empowerment to decimate Jubilee structures. The message was simple: abandon the old order and follow us for deliverance. It worked spectacularly.
In 2027, the same man is repeating the exact script — this time against the government he helped install.
Now impeached and barred from office, Gachagua has reinvented himself as Mt Kenya’s “defender” and DCP strongman.
He brands Ruto a betrayer, labels non-DCP leaders “traitors” and “enemies of the mountain”, and issues open threats. In Murang’a, he publicly warned Governor Irungu Kang’ata — one of Kenya’s best-performing governors — to join DCP or be “chased away” in 2027, even naming a replacement candidate. He deploys a mix of intimidation, incentives, and blackmail to force governors, MPs and MCAs into his fold.
The parallels are striking — and damning:
• 2022: Used ethnic mobilisation and anti-establishment anger to break Jubilee.
• 2027: Uses the same ethnic mobilisation and anti-Ruto anger to break UDA.
• 2022: Demanded total loyalty to the new party (UDA).
• 2027: Demands total loyalty to his new party (DCP).
What has not changed is the core tactic: party over performance, loyalty to Rigathi over service to the people. He thrives on creating “us versus them” narratives, punishing independent thinkers, and positioning himself as the sole gatekeeper of Mt Kenya’s political destiny.
The tragedy is that Mt Kenya risks repeating the 2022 mistake — abandoning performance-based leadership for another round of blind party euphoria and personal vendettas. Gachagua’s “Wantam” movement is not built on a clear development agenda but on bitterness and control.
Kenyans, especially in Mt Kenya, must see the con: the man who helped create the current order is now tearing it down using the same divisive methods. True leadership judges individuals by delivery, not by the colour of their party certificate.
Rigathi Gachagua has not evolved. He has simply changed sides. The tactics remain the same — dangerous, retrogressive, and self-serving.
Mt Kenya deserves better than becoming pawns in one man’s endless power game.
