Gilgil hoiyee! DCP boss Gachagua fires up rally via phone from US

Nyandarua Senator John Methu addresses the crowd in Gilgil town on Saturday, August 2, 2025. /RIGATHI GACHAGUA/X

A rally convened by leaders allied to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in Gilgil reached a crescendo on Saturday when the DCP leader addressed the crowd via phone from the United States.

Gachagua is in the US alongside former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i, where they are holding town hall engagements with diaspora Kenyans in a bid to rally support ahead of the 2027 showdown with President William Ruto.

Back home, Members of Parliament and other leaders affiliated with the DCP party have sustained the #WanTam movement, led by Nyandarua Senator John Methu.

During the Gilgil event, Methu placed Gachagua on speakerphone, amplifying his voice through the public address system to the crowd’s jubilation.

“Your Excellency, watu wa Gilgil wanasikiliza wewe (the people of Gilgil are listening to you, Your Excellency),” Methu declared amid wild cheers.

“Gilgil mpo?” Gachagua’s voice boomed through the speakers, prompting a chorus of affirmatives from the excited crowd.

“Gilgil hoiyee!” he repeated several times as the crowd roared in unison, before switching to address them in the local dialect.

The event was later disrupted by police who lobbed tear gas to disperse the gathering.

Opposition leaders allied to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua scamper to safety after police fired teargas to on Saturday during a rally in Gilgil town, August 2, 2025. /JOHN METHU

Despite the disruption, the team remained defiant. Methu posted on X: “You can teargas us all you want, but we shall not relent. #WanTam.”

He condemned the police for what he described as the unwarranted disruption of a peaceful rally.

Gachagua, who was in Dallas on Saturday, echoed the sentiment, warning that the government was acting out of fear.

“Once again, our team’s public participation meeting was rudely disrupted by the police,” he wrote on X.

“Fear of the unknown is gradually steering our country towards a dictatorial path, where suppression and intimidation are becoming the tools of the playbook.”

He condemned the police action but affirmed the team's resolve, saying their resilience and commitment would continue to shine.

“To our team, it is always darkest before dawn. We will rewrite the wrongs. Keep up the good work. Kenyans are ticking the box!”