The united opposition’s reported decision to field a single candidate in the upcoming Ol Kalou by-election is not a display of confidence. It is a loud admission of fear.
Rigathi Gachagua has spent months preaching divisive, ethnic mobilisation in Mt Kenya, branding anyone not aligned with his DCP as a traitor and pushing the tired “Wantam” slogan. Yet the ground reality is proving hostile. Instead of boldly going it alone with multiple candidates to test their strength, the opposition alliance is coalescing around one candidate — a clear sign they recognise UDA remains formidable in the region.
This is classic laziness from Gachagua and his allies. Rather than rolling up their sleeves, campaigning on the ground, articulating clear policy alternatives, and selling a compelling vision for Kenya’s future, they rely on cheap slogans and anti-Ruto agitation. “Wantam” may sound catchy at rallies, but it is not a plan. Removing Ruto is not a manifesto. Kenyans are wiser than that.
By-elections like Ol Kalou are becoming an early mirror for 2027. Voters are not blindly following bitter politicians nursing personal grudges. They want leaders with tangible ideas on jobs, cost of living, security, and development — not perpetual victims shouting from the sidelines.
Gachagua’s brand of politics — built on bitterness, threats to non-compliant leaders, and ethnic gatekeeping — is failing to deliver the sweeping realignment he promised. The need for a unified opposition ticket in what should be friendly territory for him reveals just how shallow his influence remains.
Mt Kenya voters deserve better than recycled anger and empty rhetoric. They are increasingly demanding performance and substance, not another round of divisive conmanship.
Rigathi Gachagua can keep shouting “Wantam.” Kenyans are quietly saying: Show us the plan.
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