Rigathi Gachagua Warns President Ruto of Nationwide Political Campaign Ahead of 2027 Election

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua warned President William Ruto that the political mobilisation seen in Olkalou will be replicated across all 290 constituencies ahead of the August 2027 General Election.

He issued the statement on Monday November 9, 2026, describing the Olkalou contest as a dress rehearsal. He said his team will apply a “double Olkalou template” across all 290 constituencies and that a “full dose” will be administered on August 10, 2027, promising a “cruel, fast and furious” campaign.

Gachagua accused Ruto of failing promises to Kenyans, especially in the Gusii region, and dismissed the President’s development record, claiming no roads, water, electricity or airport have been delivered in Kisii and Nyamira.

He referred to the President as “Mr 6 Months” and alleged that Ruto is recycling the same campaign script used in the 2022 election.

The remarks follow the DCP’s victory in the Olkalou parliamentary by-election on July 16, 2026, where DCP candidate Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru (also reported as Sammy Waweru Ngotho) secured 35,440 votes against United Democratic Alliance candidate Samuel Muchina Nyagah’s 5,450 votes. The margin was 29,990 votes.

Gachagua said the win demonstrated that voters could reject the ruling party despite state-backed campaigns and that it marked a major political milestone for the Mt Kenya region.

The former Deputy President, who was impeached in October 2024, has positioned himself as a vocal critic of Ruto and leads the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP).

Ruto, during a four-day tour of Kisii and Nyamira that began on November 8, highlighted road construction, electricity connectivity, education infrastructure and a proposed Level 5 hospital. Gachagua challenged those claims as recycling promises and lacking delivery.

The exchange occurs amid ongoing disagreements within the opposition over coalition-building and selecting a single presidential candidate for the 2027 election, with Gachagua insisting Ruto can be voted out.