Former DP Rigathi Gachagua during an interview at KTN/SCREENGRAB
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has said he was confident the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) candidate would win the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, describing the outcome as confirmation of what he sees as a political shift in the Mt Kenya region.
Speaking during an interview on KTN on Wednesday night, Gachagua said he had no doubts about the outcome and was only interested in the winning margin once voting had taken place.
"I knew the win was certain. I was just waiting for the margin because I know the mountain," he said.
Gachagua said the by-election result reflected what he considers to be the political mood in the region, adding that he had formed that view after engaging residents over an extended period.
He said that despite the absence of public demonstrations or widespread protests, many people in the region had quietly made up their minds politically.
"The mountain people are quiet people. Even when they are angry, you don't see them coming to the streets to riot. I knew since 2024 what the mood was because I listen to the ground and I talk to the people," he said.
The former Deputy President also said the Ol Kalou result had reinforced his view that support for the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in the region was declining.
"I knew UDA's fate was sealed in the mountain. Ol Kalou was just a confirmation of what I knew," he said.
According to Gachagua, the by-election outcome has encouraged leaders allied to him to intensify their political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 General Election.
"As we are concerned, this has just confirmed what we have been saying, and it gives us impetus now to activate the final phase as we go towards the next General Election," he said.
Using a marriage analogy, Gachagua said the political relationship between the Mt Kenya region and the UDA political camp had effectively ended.
"Our marriage is over. It has been over for the last two years. This is just a confirmation. The divorce has been there. The marriage is irreversibly broken. The mountain has moved on," he said.
He added that he expects both political camps to chart separate paths before facing each other in the next General Election.
The remarks came days after the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, which Gachagua's allies described as a significant political test in the Mt Kenya region.
The Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election was held on July 16 following the vacancy in the constituency.
The contest attracted national attention, with political observers widely viewing it as an early test of influence in the Mt Kenya region ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The outcome was closely watched by allies of President William Ruto and leaders aligned with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
The by-election featured candidates backed by different political formations, with campaigns focusing on local development issues alongside the broader political contest over the region's support base.
After voting and tallying, Sammy Kamau, the candidate backed by Gachagua's DCP party, was declared the winner, prompting celebrations among his supporters, who described the result as a significant political statement.
Leaders allied to the government, however, said one by-election would not determine the broader political landscape ahead of the next General Election.
