Gachagua to work with Uhuru, Ndindi in new Mt Kenya unity plan

By Newsflash Writer

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has unveiled an eight-point strategy anchored on cooperation with former President Uhuru Kenyatta and Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, as he seeks to consolidate the Mt Kenya voting bloc ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Mr Gachagua, the leader of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), is under growing political pressure in the region, having lost key allies while facing sustained attacks from his former boss, President William Ruto. State-backed actors have also kept him under constant strain, setting the stage for what insiders describe as a decisive 17-month political test.

Kilifi retreat

Addressing allies at the end of a three-day closed-door retreat in Kilifi County on Monday, January 19, 2026, Mr Gachagua announced that his deputy, former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala, would take charge of implementing the party’s action plan.
“After consultations with like-minded legislators, I have approved our Plan of Action for the year and assigned my deputy, Malala, to spearhead its execution on behalf of the party,” Mr Gachagua said.

The retreat brought together members of his inner circle to reflect on recent political setbacks and to realign the party’s strategy towards the 2027 polls, with a strong emphasis on unity and strategic partnerships within Mt Kenya and beyond.

The Mt Kenya equation

A key plank of the new strategy is working closely with Uhuru and Ndindi. Mr Kenyatta, who leads the Jubilee Party, has already endorsed former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i as the party’s presidential candidate, while Mr Nyoro has yet to publicly declare his 2027 ambitions. In recent months, both Mr Gachagua and Mr Nyoro have emerged as vocal defenders of Mr Kenyatta amid sharp criticism from allies of the ruling United Democratic Alliance and the Orange Democratic Movement.

However, tensions remain over leadership of the Mt Kenya political bloc. Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara, a close ally of Mr Gachagua, challenged Mr Kenyatta to openly commit to unity under the region’s recognised political structures. “We are asking Uhuru to explain why he is not working within the community’s agreed leadership structures. In 2012, then Internal Security CS John Michuki declared Uhuru the community leader ahead of the 2013 election, which he won,” Ms Kihara said.

She noted that Mr Kenyatta retained the community’s backing in 2017, but lost support in 2022 after backing opposition leader Raila Odinga. The Mt Kenya electorate instead rallied behind President Ruto and Mr Gachagua on the Kenya Kwanza Alliance ticket.

DCP’s path to 2027

“As we approach 2027, Uhuru appears keen to pass the community baton to Dr Matiang’i, and that move must be carefully reconsidered. He should accept that Mr Gachagua is now the Mountain’s political torchbearer,” Ms Kihara added.

Mr Gachagua insisted that despite the planned cooperation with Mr Kenyatta and Mr Nyoro, DCP remains the primary political vehicle for the Mt Kenya region. “My focus is to unite the Mountain under DCP. That is the party I am selling. Others are free to sell theirs. Our people will decide where they belong,” he said during an interview on Kameme TV on January 12.

He said the Kilifi retreat, which ended on January 19, 2026, was meant to assess the party’s progress and sharpen its election machinery ahead of 2027. “This retreat is about staying focused on the General Election, where DCP intends to play a key role in freeing this country from poor leadership,” he said in a social media post on January 17.

Mr Gachagua also cited internal sabotage and external pressure as major obstacles, accusing rivals of deploying spies, intimidation and violence to weaken DCP. “Our numbers may have reduced, but we are a people-driven movement. Our supporters want us focused on removing President Ruto in 2027. Anyone distracting us from that mission is acting in bad faith, and their reckoning will come,” he said.