Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua arrived in Embu on Saturday as he began a political tour that is expected to strengthen his new party’s presence in the Mt Kenya region.
Gachagua, who now leads the Democracy for the Citizens Party, is in the county for a series of engagements with residents and political supporters. The visit also includes the launch of DCP offices in Embu.
The tour comes at an important moment for Gachagua. His party is seeking to build on its recent electoral showing and establish itself as a serious force ahead of Kenya’s 2027 General Election.
The former deputy president has increasingly focused his political activities on the Mt Kenya region, where he retains a significant political base. His Embu visit is part of a wider effort to take his message directly to voters and strengthen the party’s grassroots network.
During his engagements in Embu, Gachagua also addressed tensions surrounding remarks made by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale about the Mt Kenya community.
He urged residents not to direct their anger at the wider Somali community, saying Duale should be held responsible for his own comments rather than having them attributed to an entire community.
The visit comes as Kenya’s political parties begin positioning themselves more openly ahead of the 2027 election. Gachagua’s DCP is among the emerging political vehicles seeking to attract support outside the ruling administration.
For Gachagua, however, the challenge goes beyond drawing crowds. He must turn the political enthusiasm around his tours into an organised nationwide network capable of competing when Kenyans next go to the polls.
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