Gachagua offers second chance to Mt Kenya 'traitors' ahead of 2027

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has offered a fresh chance to Mt Kenya leaders who abandoned his political camp, urging them to return and rebuild ties with the community or risk being rejected by voters in the 2027 General Election.

Speaking during the burial of his elder sister, Eunice Nyangari Gachagua, in Kieni, Nyeri County, on Saturday, November 14, the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader said those who had fallen out with the community would be forgiven if they chose to reunite with its people.

Gachagua, however, maintained that political leaders who continued working against the interests of the Mt Kenya region would face consequences at the ballot box, warning that their decisions could have lasting effects on their political standing.

He likened the political battle ahead to the Mau Mau freedom struggle, saying the community needed to approach the 2027 elections with the courage and determination demonstrated by those who fought for independence.

He clarified that the struggle would not involve armed resistance but would instead be fought through voter registration and participation in the elections.

“The journey we face next year, I look at it as a replica of the Mau Mau movement. The only difference is that we are not going to the bush. We are not taking guns and bullets. Our gun is the ID. Our bullet is a vote,” he said.

The former Deputy President said his hostility towards political collaborators was deeply rooted in his family's history, recalling the hardships his parents endured while supporting the Mau Mau fighters during the colonial period.

He disclosed that his late father served as a gunsmith for the freedom fighters, while his mother supported them by supplying food and passing information to those hiding in the Mt Kenya forests.

Gachagua said their family residence was repeatedly raided by British colonial forces after home guards allegedly informed authorities about his parents' involvement in the independence movement.

He added that his late sister witnessed the raids and developed a strong dislike for people who betrayed the community, a position he said he had inherited from her.

“She dreaded collaborators and traitors of the community and I have taken it from her. I am personally allergic to traitors of our community,” he said.

Gachagua went on to compare some of the region's current political leaders to colonial-era collaborators, accusing them of turning against their own people for personal gain.

He cited the case of two home guards who assisted in the capture of Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi, claiming that although they were rewarded for their actions, they eventually became outcasts in their own community.

According to Gachagua, the two acquired a public transport vehicle using the money they received but struggled to attract passengers because residents refused to use it over their role in Kimathi's capture.

“I want to tell those people who have betrayed our people, you will suffer the fate of those two home guards who shot Dedan Kimathi,” he said.

He cautioned that leaders who continued what he described as betrayal could lose the confidence of the electorate and face rejection beyond the political arena, including from their families and future generations.

Despite the warning, Gachagua said he was willing to welcome back those who had abandoned his political camp, revealing that religious leaders had advised him to embrace forgiveness and reconciliation.

He called on the leaders to drop their political differences, return to the community and work towards a common cause, saying they should not be permanently condemned for their past decisions.

“I want to appeal to everybody...Those who betrayed our community, we have forgiven you. Return home, come and unite with the people and they will forgive you,” he said.

He further urged residents and their leaders to protect the unity of the region, arguing that internal divisions could undermine its collective interests.

“Let us preserve this community,” he said.

Gachagua also promised to restore what he termed the dignity of the people of Nyeri in the coming year, describing them as descendants of freedom fighters who understood the importance of making the right political choices despite their quiet nature.

The burial attracted a number of prominent opposition figures, among them Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, former Chief Justice David Maraga, Siaya Governor James Orengo and Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga.

Eunice, 77, passed away on November 5 in Naro Moru. Gachagua had described his late sister as a mother figure who helped hold the family together after their mother died seven years ago.

Her funeral brought together political leaders from different formations, providing a platform for opposition figures to meet as discussions on possible political cooperation ahead of the 2027 General Election continue.