NYERI, Kenya- Former Deputy President and Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has announced that he will travel to the United States next month, but says he will first embark on a series of political rallies across the country as he intensifies his mobilisation campaign ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Speaking at his Wamunyoro home in Nyeri County on Monday, Gachagua said his immediate focus would be engaging supporters in several counties before leaving for the US.
“I want to travel to the US next month but before I go, I want us to do rallies here and there,” Gachagua said.
The former deputy president revealed that his campaign trail will begin with rallies in Embu and Meru next week before extending to Kiambaa in Kiambu County and Laikipia.
According to Gachagua, the local tours are part of his continued grassroots engagement as the DCP seeks to consolidate its support base following its victory in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election.
Expansion Beyond Mt Kenya
Gachagua also disclosed that upon returning from the United States, he intends to broaden his political outreach beyond the Mt Kenya region.
He said he would immediately begin tours of the Coast and Western regions in an effort to popularise DCP and strengthen the opposition’s national presence.
“Once I get back from America, I will be going straight to Mombasa where I will mobilise support, then I will go to the Western region,” he said.
The planned US visit will be Gachagua’s second major trip to America in just over a year. In 2025, he spent more than 40 days in the United States meeting members of the Kenyan diaspora and holding political engagements.
More recently, he also undertook a diaspora tour of the United Kingdom before announcing fresh plans for another US visit.
John Methu to Oversee Mt Kenya Mobilisation
As he prepares to leave the country, Gachagua expressed confidence that his political base in Mt Kenya remains firmly behind DCP.
He said the region’s mobilisation efforts would be left under the stewardship of Nyandarua Senator John Methu, who also serves as the party’s Secretary-General.
The announcement comes days after DCP secured a resounding victory in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, where its candidate, Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru, defeated the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate by a wide margin.
The result has been widely interpreted by political observers as a significant boost to Gachagua’s influence in the Mt Kenya region ahead of the 2027 elections.
Gachagua has in recent months intensified efforts to build a broader opposition alliance after retreating to his Wamunyoro residence for consultations aimed at forging a united front against President William Ruto in the next General Election.
