Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is set to tour Murang’a on Thursday, as political leaders in the Mt Kenya region seek to shape alliances ahead of the 2027 general election.
Gachagua, the leader of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), is scheduled to open a party office in Murang’a town at 11.30am. He will then visit Kangari Market at 2.30pm and Kandara Market at 4pm as part of his Murang’a tour.
The visit comes a day after Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro urged residents to receive Gachagua warmly.
Nyoro, who recently left the ruling United Democratic Alliance and launched the People’s Party of Kenya, has sought to avoid a public clash with opposition figures, despite growing differences over how the region should approach the 2027 election.
“There’s no day you’ll hear me exchanging words or disrespecting any leader in the opposition, because our goal is one,” Nyoro said.
He described Gachagua as an elder and appealed to residents to welcome him when he arrives.
“I want to ask you… my elder brother is like a father to me; he will also come here in Murang’a, let us receive him,” he said.
Gachagua’s tour will include areas around Kiharu, Nyoro’s political base. That makes the visit politically significant as rival camps seek influence in a region expected to play an important role in the next presidential contest.
The two camps have differed over the emergence of new opposition parties. John Methu, the DCP secretary general and Nyandarua senator, has criticized the creation of additional parties, arguing that they could fragment the Mt Kenya vote.
Nyoro has defended the move. He has said opposition parties can build their own support before eventually working towards a common candidate.
He has also drawn a line over who can join his party, saying leaders who have attacked Gachagua should first reconcile with him.
“If you have insulted former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, PPK has no room for you,” Nyoro said. “Go and make amends with Gachagua.”
Gachagua’s Murang’a visit is likely to test how the competing political camps manage their differences as the 2027 election approaches.
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