By Anderson Ojwang

Excitement blew former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua out of his 45-day conclave even before the white or black smoke was spotted, back to public engagement.

The green smoke from Ol Kalou momentarily swept Gachagua away, abandoning Wamunyoro for public engagement he had shelved for 45 days.

Reeling from a shock High Court verdict on his impeachment, Gachagua elected to retreat to Wamunyoro to recollect and chart a fresh political path.

The deflated Gachagua remained glued to his Wamunyoro village, meeting delegations one after another while closely monitoring the Ol Kalou by-elections.

In a raft of leadership changes in his DCP, where Nyandarua Senator John Methu was made the party’s acting Secretary General, Gachagua left the fate of his party in the hands of his lieutenants from Nyandarua.

Fearing a repeat of the Mbeere North by-election in Ol Kalou, Gachagua took a low profile and avoided the political risk of Mbeere North, where he led the opposition campaign for the DP candidate Newton Kariuki, who garnered 15,308 votes but lost to UDA candidate Leo Wamuthende, who got 15,802 votes. Deputy President Prof Kithure Kindiki, Gachagua’s successor, mastered his downfall in Mt Kenya politics at the by-election.

Last Thursday, the victory of Sammy Douglas Waweru Ngotho against President William Ruto’s UDA candidate Samuel Muchina Nyagah reawakened Gachagua.

From Friday, Gachagua broke his conclave and was in Ol Kalou for thanksgiving, and on Sunday he was in Kirinyaga County.

The conclave

After the High Court shocker, Gachagua declared a 45-day conclave and was not to attend any public function.

“My supporters have instructed me to urgently embark on the implementation of a strategic stand from my Wamunyoro residence for a period of 45 days. I will camp in Wamunyoro village to start exhaustive and extensive consultation with my supporters and opinion leaders,” he said after the court ruling.

Gachagua said he was asked to engage with utmost priority the identification of a single presidential candidate to face President William Ruto.

“They have asked me to move to Wamunyoro to meet stakeholders, opinion leaders, and other people who matter in our political formation to seek their mandate and authority to initiate negotiations with my co-principals with a view to producing a single presidential candidate,” he said.

“Operation Fagia Mt Kenya”

In Kirinyaga on Sunday, Gachagua declared “Operation Fagia Mt Kenya” against President Ruto’s allies.

Gachagua put on notice all allies of President Ruto in the 2027 general elections in Parliament, the Senate, and County Assemblies.

The impeached Deputy President took the battle a notch higher by declaring that President Ruto should not get any presidential vote in the region.

The agenda of the conclave was aimed at coming up with a formula for identifying a single presidential candidate to face President William Ruto in the 2027 elections.

“The over 5,000 votes the UDA candidate got in Ol Kalou was Muchina’s votes because he is a son of Mt Kenya and not because of Ruto. Ruto must not get 1,000 votes in Kirinyaga County in the 2027 presidential elections,” he said.

Banished Kuria

Gachagua also banished former Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria from the community for allegedly leading Ruto’s agenda in Mt Kenya.

Kuria wrote: “Dear Kenyans. Our King has declared me an outcast from among the Kikuyu community. That means I cannot attend any Church service there. Neither can I go to a wedding nor a funeral. Not a traditional ceremony nor a business meeting within the Kikuyu community. When I come to your community outside Kikuyu land, I beg you accept me. Sina pa kuenda. God will bless you.”

Defections

Gachagua claimed several MPs and government officers in President Ruto’s team have called him to pledge allegiance and wanting to join his camp.

“I have received a telephone call from a Permanent Secretary who wants to be Governor of Nyeri. I told him to visit Wamunyoro during the day. Some of the legislators have also called me that they want to join DCP because the ground is hostile to President Ruto. Let them come to Wamunyoro in the day and defect,” he said.

Stop divisive politics

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki on Sunday told Gachagua to stop divisive politics in Mt Kenya which could alienate the community.

“I don’t want our community to be divided. We are one people. I don’t want to see our community talking different languages. We are one people,” he said.

Kindiki said the age of Mt Kenya unity should not be taken for granted and must be guarded at all cost.

“Long time ago, we were united under one church, ACK, all the way from Kirinyaga to Meru. We were under one diocese, Mt Kenya East, under the leadership of the late Bishop David Gitari. Even in politics, in Mt Kenya we have always been united and we have a long history. So there is nothing that can divide us. Those who think they will divide us should relax,” he said.

Kindiki said as the Deputy President, he will ensure the unity of Mt Kenya and asked Gachagua to stop alienating the community.

“I am the Deputy President, and I will ensure the community walks together. Stop making noise and stop dividing the people. We have not had a presidential election, and that will come next year. I want to assure you that election will be determined by service delivery and not abuses,” he said.

Was Gachagua only waiting for the green smoke from Ol Kalou to crawl out of Wamunyoro to embark on public engagement?

By Alphonse Bernard Otieno

The latest political opinion polls have sparked fresh debate over the evolving dynamics ahead of Kenya’s 2027 General Election. If the recent TIFA survey accurately reflects the current political mood, then President William Ruto faces a challenge that goes beyond individual opposition figures. The emerging issue is no longer simply Rigathi Gachagua, Kalonzo Musyoka, or Dr Fred Matiang’i. Increasingly, political attention is turning to Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.

The first TIFA poll suggests a significant shift within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). According to the survey, the Linda Mwananchi faction associated with Edwin Sifuna commands approximately 74% support among ODM supporters, while the Linda Ground faction linked to Oburu Odinga attracts about 26%. If these findings accurately represent grassroots opinion, they indicate that a substantial majority of ODM supporters currently favour a more confrontational opposition approach rather than political cooperation with the Kenya Kwanza administration.

This is more than an internal party contest. It suggests that many ODM supporters are demanding a stronger opposition voice. In this political environment, Edwin Sifuna increasingly appears to embody that expectation.

The second TIFA poll presents another interesting picture. President William Ruto reportedly leads individual presidential preference ratings with 24% support. While this places him ahead of individual competitors, Kenya’s Constitution requires a presidential candidate to secure more than 50% of all valid votes cast (50% + 1 vote) to win in the first round.

Political analysts therefore argue that individual popularity alone may not determine the outcome. Coalition-building remains the decisive factor.

Current opposition figures—including Kalonzo Musyoka, Rigathi Gachagua, and Dr Fred Matiang’i—already command substantial support. Should Edwin Sifuna’s political influence translate into additional electoral backing for a united opposition coalition, analysts believe the combined numbers could potentially exceed the constitutional threshold required for victory.

This explains why Sifuna’s political significance is attracting increasing attention. His influence lies not necessarily in being the single largest political figure, but in his potential ability to consolidate opposition support and unite different voting blocs.

The TIFA findings also raise important questions about ODM’s future political direction. If grassroots supporters overwhelmingly favour a firm opposition stance, then leaders like Wanga, Mbadi, Dr Oburu Odinga, Wandayi, and others who are advocating cooperation with the government may find it increasingly difficult to mobilise the party’s traditional support base.

For President Ruto, the strategic challenge extends beyond defeating individual rivals. The greater concern would be preventing the emergence of a cohesive opposition coalition capable of uniting diverse regional and political interests under one presidential candidate.

Conversely, for the opposition, maintaining unity remains the greatest test. Kenya’s political history demonstrates that fragmented opposition movements often struggle against an incumbent government, while united coalitions significantly improve their electoral prospects.

Whether Edwin Sifuna ultimately becomes part of such a coalition remains uncertain. Equally uncertain is whether President Ruto’s political strategy will seek to neutralise or engage influential opposition figures through dialogue or other political arrangements. Such possibilities remain matters of political speculation rather than established fact.

As the 2027 General Election approaches, one observation appears increasingly evident: the contest may not simply be about who leads the opinion polls today, but about who succeeds in building the broadest political coalition tomorrow. In Kenyan politics, elections are rarely won by individual popularity alone—they are won through numbers, alliances, organisation, and voter turnout.

By Anderson Ojwang

In Chinua Achebe’s book Things Fall Apart, he wrote that when the centre can no longer hold, things fall apart. Indeed, the soul of Kenya’s most popular party is at the brink.

Things are falling apart in the late Raila Amolo Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) nine months after his death, and Kenya’s biggest opposition party is fast sliding into the abyss.

Raila’s treasure, ODM, has finally split into two, with Linda Ground aligning with President William Ruto and the broad-based government, while Linda Mwananchi is joining hands with the opposition against Ruto in the 2027 presidential contest.

The Siaya Senator Dr Oburu Oginga-led ODM is in tatters, and the soul and creed of the party, which Raila’s daughter Winnie Odinga mourned, has been desecrated.

The declaration

In Taita Taveta, the Linda Mwananchi spokesperson, Caroli Omondi, announced the breakaway from ODM to Linda Mwananchi.

“It is now become necessary that we break the bond that we have had with ODM. It is now time to break away from ODM. It is time to go separate ways. We will remain to watch over the people,” he said.

Caroli explained to the public why they were walking away from ODM, saying the leadership had betrayed Raila and his ideals.

“We must tell the world why we are breaking away. ODM has become destructive to the welfare of the Kenyan people. ODM has betrayed not just Raila but the ideals that Raila stood for. For this reason, we are now walking out of ODM, and we are now asking all Kenyans who have walked the journey with Raila Amolo Odinga to now come and join Linda Mwananchi,” he said.

Caroli said the ODM party was breaking the legacy of Raila and the community of support he had built.

“Raila built a community of supporters all over the country, from the Coast, Western Kenya, Turkana, Central, North Eastern, and everywhere. Today, ODM has broken relationships with everybody and instead they are concentrating on supporting a government that is collapsing and doesn’t have a future,” he said.

Registration

Caroli also told the public that the group had made an application for the registration of Linda Mwananchi as a political party.

“The application has been made. I am telling the Registrar of Political Parties that you have no right under Section 8 of the Political Parties Act to deny us the right to use Linda Mwananchi,” he said.

Declare war

Caroli warned the Registrar of Political Parties not to interfere with the registration of the outfit.

“I want to tell President William Ruto to stop telling the Registrar of Political Parties not to register Linda Mwananchi as a political party,” he said.

Caroli said the group leadership will visit the offices of the Registrar of Political Parties to engage over the registration.

“And we are coming to your office this week, and if you do not approve that name, Raila Amolo taught us what to do. We will get our name. You will not intimidate us. We will not be beaten, and we will not be cowed,” he warned.

County coordinators

On Friday, it was a fatal blow to Oburu’s Linda Ground team after 36 county coordinators ditched it for Siaya Governor James Orengo, Edwin Sifuna, and Babu Owino-led Linda Mwananchi.

Orengo wrote: “Linda Mwananchi is unstoppable. Today we stood with 36 ODM county coordinators who have rejected Linda Ground. Linda Mwananchi is the final, uncompromised home of the true spirit of the late Raila Odinga,” he wrote.

Orengo said the Oburu faction has lost its soul and that the decisions in the faction and party were no longer being made at Chungwa House.

Caroli said: “If you are the chairman of ODM in any part of the country, change the colours to Linda Mwananchi. The 36 county chairmen and coordinators are now in Linda Mwananchi, out of the 47 counties.”

The immediate former ODM Secretary General Sifuna said county coordinators were Raila’s trusted and main political bloodline, and it was a milestone for the Linda Mwananchi wing.

“The people you see here are Raila Amolo Odinga’s grassroots soldiers. I know that for a fact, because I remain Raila’s last Secretary General, and I have worked with these gentlemen for a decade,” he said.

Sifuna said the group has the network and are the political foundation and were responsible for Raila’s relevance in the country.

“I can assure you that there is no stronger team in the country than these gentlemen you see behind us here. I have seen them, and their names are synonymous with Baba, Raila,” he said.

Sifuna commended the coordinators for standing by the ideals and legacy of Raila.

“We have worked together for a long time to bring about the dream that Baba stood for. We are honoured and humbled that you have resisted all the trappings of power and wealth that we see being exhibited on the other side, and you decided to be the carriers of Raila’s dream for the benefit of the people of Kenya,” he said.

Tatters: Who told you?

In October, during Raila’s first anniversary, Oburu will present to his brother a shattered political party – ODM limping to its grave and playing a fiddle role in the country’s political landscape.

Oburu will be hard-pressed to explain to his brother his last words: “Who told you ODM will not have a presidential candidate?”

In Linda Mwananchi, they will present a presidential candidate to Raila and actualise his dream.

By Anderson Ojwang

President William Ruto will have to finally come to the harsh reality that Mt Kenya has rebelled and walked away from him.

The vote for Ruto’s presidential quest in the 2022 general elections was not out of love but lack of an alternative, as on the other side of the coin was the community’s black sheep, the late Raila Amolo Odinga.

The Odingas – the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and Raila – spent decades in a wild chase of Mt Kenya votes after they supported the community to arrive at the presidency.

At independence, Jaramogi declined to lead Kenya to independence and instead vouched for the release of Mzee Jomo Kenyatta to lead the country to independence.

In a fallout between Kenyatta and Oginga, the former led the community into oath-taking against the latter, never to allow leadership to go to the lake region.

Raila in 2002 returned the leadership to Mt Kenya after he supported the election of the late Mwai Kibaki to be the third president.

Ruto in the trenches

President Ruto finds himself in the same situation the Odingas have been in for decades, and the Ol Kalou by-election is just the tip of the iceberg of what awaits him in the 2027 presidential election.

In Ruto’s administration, Mt Kenya occupies the majority of the positions, with seven Cabinet Secretaries, including Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, and 15 Principal Secretaries.

While Ruto’s Kalenjin community has only three Cabinet Secretaries and 11 Principal Secretaries.

At the Ol Kalou by-election, President Ruto, through his representatives in Mt Kenya, delivered goods but failed to sway the electorate to vote for the UDA candidate, losing and managing only 13 percent of the votes cast.

Democracy and development won

According to former Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria, the Ol Kalou by-election was a situation where democracy and development won.

Kuria telephoned the DCP candidate and the winner, Kamau Ngotho, to congratulate him for the victory.

“This morning I have called MP Elect Hon Kamau Ngotho to congratulate him for his resounding victory. The people of Ol Kalou have spoken, and it is clear that Hon Ngotho has the overwhelming support of the people of Ol Kalou,” he wrote on his social media platforms.

Kuria, who was also in charge of coordinating development in Ol Kalou, assured the MP-elect that the projects would be implemented in full.

“As the person who was coordinating development projects in Ol Kalou on behalf of the government, I have assured Hon Ngotho that NONE of the projects will stop,” he wrote.

The projects included the construction of Nyandarua University, tarmacking of Ithagani-Nyaituga-Ngorika-Kanyiriti, and tarmacking of Lake Olbolosat access road.

Others are the Nairobi-Gilgil-Ol Kalou-Nyahururu railway line, all 36 electrification projects will be completed including metering for those already connected, Central Rift Water Works Agency and Ol Kalou Water Company will continue connecting homes to water sources using the pipes provided, and the 20,000 LPG gas cylinders will be refilled at retail shops in Ol Kalou to be designated by the National Oil Company of Kenya.

The projects included the 100,000 avocado seedlings, Ol Kalou dairy and the beneficiaries of the NYOTA programme, 1,000 hectares of land that has started benefiting from irrigation at Gwa Kiongo Dam, and the Blue Economy projects in Gwa Kiongo, Githunguri and Lake Ol Bolosat, including the now famous fishing boats.

The Land Registry in Ol Kalou, the issuance of title deeds to colonial villages including Moa Farm and the attendant succession will continue. The Mashujaa Wing in JM Kariuki Hospital will be completed, and Ol Kalou Stadium, which is underway, will be completed.

Other projects include all the affordable housing projects, including the NHC project and the hostels at Rurii TVET, which will be completed; all markets under modernisation, including Ol Kalou retail market, Ol Kalou wholesale market and Mirangine modern markets, will be completed and handed over to the owners; the 5 ward-based Digital Hubs will remain operational; the Smartboards and laptop teaching, and all the youths employed on the Climate Work programme will continue until the end of their contractual period.

“In a nutshell, both democracy and development will win because elections are not a matter of life and death,” he wrote.

Accept and move on

Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi acknowledged the loss of Mt Kenya votes but expressed optimism that Ruto could replace them from other regions and vote blocks, saying the loss will have no effect on the presidential election.

“Let’s all calm down and stop making wild proclamations like Gachagua, who just said he will mobilise Molima’s 7M votes against Ruto in 2027. 7 Million!? From where? Last time I checked, Molima’s TOTAL votes cast in 2022 (for both Raila and Ruto) was 3.8 million… I have included ALL the votes in cosmopolitan counties like Nakuru, Laikipia and Kiambu, to counterbalance the Nairobi votes (which are give or take 500k votes cast – 67% of the approximate 800k Nairobi Molima voters). Post-2022, IEBC has registered about 527,000 new voters in Molima counties. So, long arithmetic simplified, there is no universe where Gachagua gives anyone above 4M votes, even assuming they vote 100% for his preferred presidential ticket. Maths don’t lie, Wamunyoros do. PS: One of the tricks Wamunyoros normally use to shore up their numbers and create an artificial ‘tuko wengi’ perception is they usually compare their REGISTERED votes total against other regions’ votes CAST. It is not uncommon to hear them say ‘Sisi tuko na kura million saba, na nyinyi hamna kura, mlipigia Raila kura blah blah.’ That trick won’t work anymore… We now compare Registered vs Registered, and Cast vs Cast… WAOL,” he wrote.

Crack the whip

For President Ruto, he will have to make a painful decision: either to crack the whip and give some of the positions to a new bride, or continue to be in a wild goose chase for Mt Kenya votes.

By Anderson Ojwang

Thirty-six years ago, the Gema and Kamatusa political alliance negotiated by then President, the late Daniel Moi, with Mt Kenya elders and leaders collapsed after the Kipipiri by-election.

Kanu, the ruling party in the 1996 by-election, fell to the hammer of his former Vice President, the late Mwai Kibaki of the DP party.

Similarly, on Thursday, during the Ol Kalou by-election, the fate befell President William Ruto after his party UDA lost in the by-election to his former deputy Rigathi Gachagua of DCP.

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta had in 2013 brokered a political alliance with Ruto, which culminated in a joint ticket presidency. It became known as “kumi-kumi.”

After the Kipipiri loss, the political formation Gema-Kamatusa, which was meant to bring the two regions together, collapsed over what was said to be unfulfilled electricity promises in Kipipiri.

Interestingly, President Ruto and his former boss, Uhuru Kenyatta, coined the political alliance that brought the two regions together after they were charged at The Hague over the 2007 post-election violence.

Uhuru pulled out of the union after the 2017 general elections and entered into a political handshake with the late Raila Amolo Odinga.

In the 2022 presidential election, Uhuru supported the Azimio La Umoja candidate but lost to Ruto.

Ruto, through Gachagua and other leaders from Mt Kenya, including Deputy President Prof Kindiki Kithure, mastered a victory.

Gachagua, after his impeachment, has declared war on President Ruto and has ganged up with Uhuru, DP leader JB Muturi, Martha Karua, and other leaders to lock the President out of Mt Kenya.

Trends and patterns in Mt Kenya

President Ruto lost the Ol Kalou by-election by 86 percent to the DCP candidate and eventual winner Waweru Ngotho. The UDA candidate managed a paltry 13 percent.

In 1996, Paul Githiomi Mwangi of the Democratic Party (DP) won overwhelmingly, garnering 84.5 percent with 14,858 votes, against the ruling party Kanu’s Joe Maina, who only received 3,144 votes, accounting for 17.5 percent.

In the 2022 presidential election, Ruto won in Nyeri County by 81.7 percent, accounting for 272,507 votes against Azimio La Umoja Presidential candidate, the late Raila Odinga’s 15.82 percent, accounting for 52,043 votes.

In Kirinyaga County, Ruto secured 84.08 percent with 230,752 votes against Raila’s 13.7 percent, accounting for 37,978 votes.

In Murang’a County, Ruto’s percentage win was 81.9 percent with 343,411 votes against Raila’s 11.30 percent with 75,539 votes.

In Kiambu County, Ruto won by 72.99 percent with 606,105 votes against Raila’s 210,493 votes.

In Nyandarua County, Ruto won by 78.2 percent with 189,384 votes against Raila’s 20 percent with 48,227 votes.

In Meru County, Ruto won by 80.87 percent with 369,363 votes against Raila’s 17.48 percent with 79,842 votes.

In Embu County, Ruto won by 64.34 percent with 187,186 votes against Raila’s 18.97 percent with 31,118 votes.

From the above pattern and trend, the Ol Kalou by-election, where the UDA candidate received 13 percent against DCP’s 86 percent, is a clear indication of how Ruto will likely perform in the presidential elections in 2027.

From the analysis of Raila’s percentage and in comparison to the Ol Kalou outcome, Ruto will likely swing between 10-20 percent in Mt Kenya.

Nyeri ghost

Kipipiri MP Wanjiku Muhia wrote: “I want to thank the people of Ol Kalou for maintaining our history of Kipipiri 1995. This was an unprecedented election for our time, where the entire government system opposed us.”

Just like his mentor Moi, President Ruto fell to the Nyeri ghost in the Kipipiri by-election.

Moi, who was in his final term of presidency, witnessed a collapse of his Kanu party at the 2002 presidential election, when the party presidential candidate Uhuru lost to Kibaki.

In the September 1995 by-election, then President the late Moi faced off with the Democratic Party leader, the late Mwai Kibaki, in the contest.

Mwai Kibaki, from Nyeri, was supporting the party candidate Paul Githiomi Mwangi.

President Moi was from the Kalenjin community, and currently President William Ruto, his student and from his community, presented a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate, Samuel Muchina. Kibaki was Moi’s Vice President before he was sacked, and he later formed DP after the repealing of Section 2A that allowed multi-partyism.

President Ruto faced off with his impeached former deputy Gachagua, and the DCP candidate Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru – Ngotho easily rode to victory.

The politics of Ol Kalou has been determined by Nyeri, with the first MP being the socialist and fiery politician, the late JM Kariuki, during the administration of the founding president, the late Jomo Kenyatta.

JM’s parents were originally from Nyeri but were displaced in 1928 from their family home in Chinga village.

Relationship

Just like the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, the relationship between the people of Nyandarua and his government was bad.

In the late 1960s and early ’70s, Kariuki’s relationship with Kenyatta became increasingly strained as Kariuki became increasingly vocal in his criticism of Kenyatta’s governmental policies and their results, including high levels of government corruption and widening inequalities.

The government’s attempts to thwart his re-election as Nyandarua North MP in 1972 flopped because of his popularity among ordinary Kenyans.

While Kenyatta praised Kenya’s great progress, JM declared that Kenya “had become a country of 10 millionaires and ten million beggars.”

Most of the local leaders from Nyandarua County, led by Senator John Methu and Kipipiri MP Wanjiku Muhia, have been critical of Ruto. Now the support for Ruto and the opposition is split right in the middle at three.

Defections

The recent defections by Murang’a Governor Irungu Kangata and Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, close confidants of Ruto, to the opposition were a clear indication of the end of the President’s reign in the region.

Calm the storm

Kapsaret MP Kipchumba Sudi moved to calm the storm, saying the loss will have no effect on the presidential election.

“Let’s all calm down and stop making wild proclamations like Gachagua, who just said he will mobilise Molima’s 7M votes against Ruto in 2027. 7 Million!? From where? Last time I checked, Molima’s TOTAL votes cast in 2022 (for both Raila and Ruto) was 3.8 million… I have included ALL the votes in cosmopolitan counties like Nakuru, Laikipia and Kiambu, to counterbalance the Nairobi votes (which are give or take 500k votes cast – 67% of the approximate 800k Nairobi Molima voters). Post-2022, IEBC has registered about 527,000 new voters in Molima counties. So, long arithmetic simplified, there is no universe where Gachagua gives anyone above 4M votes, even assuming they vote 100% for his preferred presidential ticket. Maths don’t lie, Wamunyoros do. PS: One of the tricks Wamunyoros normally use to shore up their numbers and create an artificial ‘tuko wengi’ perception is they usually compare their REGISTERED votes total against other regions’ votes CAST. It is not uncommon to hear them say ‘Sisi tuko na kura million saba, na nyinyi hamna kura, mlipigia Raila kura blah blah.’ That trick won’t work anymore… We now compare Registered vs Registered, and Cast vs Cast… WAOL,” he wrote.

By Anderson Ojwang

No bragging right. The game is still a tie. The referee waves play on for immediate former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and his successor Prof Abraham Kithure Kindiki.

Kindiki took the battle a notch higher when he posted on his social media platforms: “Mbeere North: 1, Ol Kalou: 1. Final Match: 10 Aug’ 2027,” in reference to the battle of Mt Kenya.

He went on to say: “A good time to re-engineer the game altogether.”

Kindiki and Gachagua are sworn political rivals, with each claiming seniority and the leadership of Mt Kenya.

Kindiki’s gauntlet

Ahead of the Ol Kalou by-election, Kindiki had promised to teach Gachagua another political lesson similar to Mbeere North.

He promised to deflate Gachagua, who has been chest-thumping as the king and de facto leader of Mt Kenya.

Kindiki was optimistic that the Ol Kalou by-election would be another opportunity to revenge and inflict another pain on Gachagua.

“Wait, there is a by-election coming in Ol Kalou, Nyandarua. I will meet with that man in Nyandarua. I am waiting to meet him in Nyandarua, and the way he chest-thumps, I will demolish him. I will dismantle him badly. That is where respect will prevail and will be birthed,” he said.

Hotels closed

On the eve of the by-election, Gachagua declared that all the hotels the government had opened in Ol Kalou were closed, and it was a defining moment.

“I have the duty and moral authority to officially announce that all Kasongo hotels that were opened in Ol Kalou and operated by his collaborators in hubris and betrayal, and partners in corruption and the looting of public resources, are officially shut and shall remain so,” he wrote.

He told the residents that the time was up for them to regroup back home and defeat UDA in the by-election.

“I am relaxing in Wamunyoro, waiting to celebrate with the residents of Ol Kalou on Thursday, 16th July, at 9:00 p.m.,” he wrote.

Honour in loss

Kindiki, the learned friend, understood honour in loss and was the first to concede defeat and congratulated Waweru.

“Congratulations Sammy Douglas Waweru Kamau on your imminent victory in the by-election held today for the MP seat for Ol Kalou constituency. Unite the residents and serve them all without distinction. Congratulations Samuel Muchina, our UDA Party candidate, for a good show and a mature, issue-based campaign devoid of insult,” he wrote.

Genesis

Kindiki’s tiff with Gachagua burst open during the 2022 choice of President William Ruto’s running mate.

Ruto, then Deputy President and UDA presidential candidate for the 2022 presidential election, had invited then Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua and then Tharaka Nithi Senator Prof Kithure Kindiki to a duel for his deputy.

In this contest, a stalemate that lasted over 17 hours was characterised by failed consensus building, with opinion polls favouring Kindiki.

Ruto and his team resorted to opinion polls conducted internally to unlock the stalemate. The first poll, conducted internally by a strategy and research team headed by Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir, involved 10,000 respondents drawn from 10 Mt. Kenya counties. In that poll, Kindiki trounced Gachagua, with Governor Anne Waiguru coming in third.

In the second survey, conducted nationwide in the 47 counties involving 25,000 respondents, Kindiki yet again emerged top, with Waiguru and Gachagua second and third respectively.

The final vote involved the Central Kenya UDA MPs, who were called in for a vote. Senator Kindiki once again trounced Gachagua.

Out of the 31 Mt. Kenya UDA MPs present, 22 voted in favour of Kindiki, 5 voted for Gachagua, two backed Waiguru, while Muturi obtained one vote, with one rejected vote.

The referee was left with no alternative but to annul the results and instead awarded the mantle to Gachagua, who was later impeached by Parliament and the Senate.

Impeachment

The impeachment of Gachagua opened the gate for Kindiki to become the third Deputy President. The elevation incensed Gachagua, who has never forgiven Kindiki.

Mbeere North

Mbeere North provided Kindiki with the opportunity to humiliate Gachagua at the ballot box. Gachagua supported the DP candidate Newton Kariuki, who lost to UDA’s Leo Wamuthende.

Gachagua dared President Ruto to join the fray during the Mbeere North campaigns, who instead enlisted the services of his deputy to lead the contest.

“You Kasongo, come. I am here with the people of Mbeere. We will show you dust. Don’t send a government employee. You Kasongo, come yourself. This Kasongo, the Mbeere people have eaten his money. Do we shave him?” Gachagua said.

For Kindiki, he delivered his promise by slaying the mountain Goliath to stake his claim as the biblical David of Mt Kenya and political leader.

“You came with your jokes and noise. Go away and leave me alone. You, Goliath, your days are numbered, and on Thursday, it will be done and dusted. I am the senior-most political leader in the Mt Kenya region, for the avoidance of doubt,” he said then.

Peers

Kindiki said Gachagua was not his peer in leadership and the academic world, as he has held various senior positions while the former Deputy President was a junior officer in the government.

“If you continue like that, I will embarrass you, Rigathi Gachagua. Leave me alone. Seek votes for Newton Kariuki and leave me alone. I am not a person to be played with. I have come here to seek votes for Wamuthende, and I am not forcing them. You have a lot of jokes. You Goliath, for far too long, you have threatened people. Your days are numbered. Come Thursday, you will suffer defeat,” he said then.

The battle just about to begin

When bulls fight, it is the grass that suffers. Mt Kenya is preparing to usher in the battle of the bulls.

Who will have the last laugh and say?

By Anderson Ojwang

In the land of the settlers and the rebels, where marginalisation has been part of life, a new child and king was born last Thursday night.

In the hands of Nyandarua Senator John Methu and the iron lady of Kipipiri, Wanjiku Muhia, the people of Ol Kalou and the opposition had entrusted the pregnancy and safe delivery of the child, Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru.

On Thursday, on the way to the labour ward, ugly scenes marked the journey which threatened the safe delivery, but as fate would have it, no amount of intimidation and harassment could stop the birth of the child whose time had arrived.

The birth of the child marked the beginning of the end of the reign of the old king, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

The child – the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) – marked its entry at the Ol Kalou by-election, where celebration and dance broke out in the night and throughout the day.

The announcement

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on Friday declared the winner of the by-election, setting the ground and pace for the 2027 presidential elections.

The IEBC Returning Officer, Antony Njiraine, declared Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) duly elected Member of the National Assembly for Ol Kalou Constituency after garnering 35,440 votes.

President William Ruto’s UDA candidate, Mr Samuel Muchina Nyagah, came a poor second with 5,450 votes and lost by a margin of 30,000 votes.

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s party, Jubilee, was mauled and carcasses left for the beast after the candidate Wilson Mwaniki Kigwa got a negligible 198 votes, while Timothy Kamau Kariuki (PM) – 51, Edwin Kariiri Muchiri (PNU) – 28, Abdifatah Hussein Abdullahi (FPK) – 19, Edward Mathenge Mwaniki (KMM) – 16, and Rachael Wangui Njoroge (PDP) – 11.

Voter turnout

In Ol Kalou, the registered voters were 73,480, with a voter turnout and votes cast standing at 41,656, marking a 57 percent turnout. This was one of the highest voter turnouts in recent by-elections in the country.

DCP wrote “Congratulations our first born,” as it marked and announced its entry into the country’s political scene, with eyes set on reclaiming Mt Kenya from the grasp of President Ruto.

The party leader, Rigathi Gachagua, marked the victory by sending a warning to President Ruto on the 2027 presidential elections.

“Go tell President William Ruto, you don’t know politics. I will teach you politics next year. You didn’t study politics, and you think you know a lot. Kenyans have now exposed you,” he said.

Gachagua said the opposition will unite against President Ruto in the 2027 general elections and expressed optimism of victory.

“I will unite with other Kenyans – Kalonzo Musyoka, Fred Matiang’i, Eugene Wamalwa, George Natembeya, Martha Karua, JB Muturi, Edwin Sifuna, and Babu Owino. Together, we shall liberate our country,” he said.

Man of the moment

DCP acting Secretary General Methu is the man of the moment and has lived to continue to torment President Ruto in Mt Kenya.

Methu spearheaded the campaigns and, without the support of Gachagua and other opposition leaders, delivered the victory and the first born for DCP.

“My brother, my friend, Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru – Ngotho, congratulations on your very resounding win. The people have spoken, unequivocally so. Go out and serve. You have been the easiest person that I have worked with. Our campaigns were the smoothest because you were so committed. I have no doubt in my mind that the people of Ol Kalou have gotten the best,” he wrote.

Methu thanked the team, including the party leader Gachagua, for the support.

“On behalf of the entire team, we are so grateful to our party leader H.E. Rigathi Gachagua, EGH, for his guidance throughout the entire by-election. We are proud to follow a brilliant leader who has an answer to every political question. To the great people of Ol Kalou, my people, my blood, I am overwhelmed by your love. You promised that mùtikwendia rùrìrì, and indeed, almost to a man, voted to restore the dignity of our community,” he wrote.

He said DCP now has three legislators against UDA’s four in Nyandarua and promised a battle in next year’s general elections.

The iron lady

Wanjiku has emerged as the iron lady of Mt Kenya politics. The radical Kipipiri MP has carved herself a niche and can no longer play a peripheral role in Mt Kenya politics. She is the iron lady of Mt Kenya politics into the future.

“Dear Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru, MP Elect Ol Kalou Constituency, congratulations on your victory! Ol Kalou has spoken loudly and clearly,” she wrote.

Wanjiku attributed the success to God’s favour and that through God, the victory was assured.

“This success belongs to God, demonstrating that He is our Mighty Father; if God says YES, no one can say no. To the people of Ol Kalou, I cannot thank you enough. You are the real Itungatis. The attacks at more than 20 polling stations were an attempt to scare you, but you stood firm against the goons and the guns. Your resolve was unshakable,” she said.

She thanked the team for ensuring and delivering victory against the UDA onslaught and goodies.

“I want to extend special recognition to all our voters, our Gitungati 001, H.E. Rigathi Gachagua, EGH, and our very own Kaba Methu. I also thank Kipipiri constituency for allowing me to be away in support of the community (Ruriri). Thank you all so much for your incredible support,” she wrote.