Gachagua sets May 9 for Ol Kalou DCP nominations
Rigathi Gachagua has made it very clear to the entire opposition team that his DCP will field a candidate for the vacant Ol Kalou seat after the death of former MP. Hon. David Njuguna Kiaraho.
This week Gachauga met aspirants seeking the party’s ticket for the upcoming Ol Kalou Constituency by-election.
Why DCP needs this Ol Kalou MP seat is pretty obvious because for Rigathi Gachagua anywhere in the Mt Kenya region is his political base by right and his only enemy should be President Willam Ruto and all other United Opposition parties from the region have to shut up and listen to him or else. Excellent politics for that struggling opposition group.
The former Deputy President said the party had reviewed and affirmed the nomination process together with the Chairperson of the National Election Board and other senior officials ahead of the July 16 by-election.
In a statement on his X account, Gachagua said the aspirants had agreed to a free, fair and credible nomination exercise and committed to respecting the final outcome.
“This morning, I met with aspirants seeking to fly the DCP PARTY flag in the upcoming Olkalou by-election scheduled for July 16, 2026,” Gachagua said.
Jubilee Party invites aspirants for Ol Kalou by-election, sets May 4 deadline
On the other hand, Jubilee Party have made their big demand to the United Opposition leaders that Ol Kalou MP seat is theirs by right because it was their candidate Hon. David Njuguna Kiaraho who died in his third term as Ol Kalou representative in parliament and he was loved and respected by the constituents.
In a notice dated Monday, April 27, 2026, the Party extended an invitation to all persons interested to vie in the by-elections through the party.
“FOLLOWING the death of the Member of Parliament for Ol Kalou constituency, Hon. David Njuguna Kiaraho, who was a member of our party and the declaration of the by-election date, 16th July 2026, the party would like to take back the seat they already held within the United Opposition.” the Party said.
To tell the country how things are going bad for the so-called United Opposition PLP leader Martha Karua was the first to name their candidate for the Ol Kalou by-election when her party introduced Ndirangu Martin to fight for the seat in the by-elections coming on July 16, 2026.
People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua has unveiled Ndirangu Martin Wambugu, popularly known as Tinga Tinga, as its candidate for the forthcoming Ol Kalou Constituency by-election.
In a statement on her X account on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, Karua expressed confidence in Wambugu’s leadership and ability to represent the interests of residents.
Mt Kenya power play as UDA, DCP gear up for Ol Kalou battle
In media stories already Kenyans can see the United Opposition not able to even agree on one candidate to face whoever UDA picks for the contest for an MP position in an area where they already held the MP seat.
“This will be a contest between President William Ruto and Rigathi Gachagua. It’s here that the mountain’s politics will be showcased. It’s likely to be another Kipipiri,” former Igembe North Maoka Maore says, referring to the infamous by-election in the 1990s where the then ruling party Kanu was defeated even after pouring resources there.
The DCP has announced that ten candidates have shown interest in it, promising a free and fair nomination exercise.
Can the United Opposition agree on one candidate in Ol Kalou by-election?
The obvious answer is that they will not agree on one candidate and it will be everybody on their own. I don’t know how good that is for them, but it is certainly not bad for William Ruto as he gears towards the big election in 2027.
Why would the opposition leaders from Mt Kenya region not agree on one candidate for Ol Kalou. Simple. Opposition leaders everywhere are fighting to project themselves as the heart and soul of the opposition team that everybody has to listen to as they hope to be the presidential candidate against Ruto in 2027.
If you are Martha Karua who has already announced her plans to campaign independently for the 2027 presidential race, you want to register you name and presence somewhere in the electoral map and if by any chance Martha Karua’s team wins the Ol Kalou seat that puts Martha in a very good place to demand the presidential ticket against William Ruto in 2027.
If you are Rigathi Gachagua who has been humiliated by Ruto and Kindiki in Mbeere North and everywhere else where there have been by-elections now you are in the heartland of you self-declared Kingdom, you have to put a candidate so that if you win you can try to rally everybody around you as the one to beat Ruto even though as an impeached leader you cannot hold any office in the country.
This has come to a die or live for Gachagua and he will not back off for anybody including Jubilee Party who held the Ol Kalou seat.
The bigger picture is whether there will be anything like United Opposition in August 8, 2027 given what everybody is seeing now.
Will the dancing still be going on that fateful day for Kenyans to elect their next government? Good Luck with that.
The great hope for the opposition leaders is to get a post-election chance where the party that comes second runs against President William Ruto. That is the simple reality for the opposition and each one of them will be hoping to get that chance.
Kalonzo Musyoka is running for the presidency in 2027 and he has made that very clear. His wish is that at least Gachagua backs him and then gives him somebody like Gachagua’s big boy Nyandarua Senator John Methu as his running mate. That is Kalonzo’s mission and there is nothing else in the United Opposition for him if that does not happen.
Martha Karua declared she will not be anybody’s DP candidate and she wants the big job and maybe she deserves it. The deal for Martha Karua is to work with Jubilee and run for the presidency with Fred Matiang’i as her running mate.
That serves two purposes. Karua can attract a lot of votes as the only politician from the Mt Kenya region on the presidential ticket and Matiang’i brings the other votes from Western Kenya and probably from Nairobi and they can chase the second spot behind Ruto and go one on one with him next.
Why wouldn’t you want that hope if you were Martha Karua?
Adongo Ogony is a Human Rights Activist and a Writer who lives in Toronto, Canada
