The Faceoff

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The decision by the former Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua, to endorse CPA Geoffrey Gitau Mwangi for the Nakuru county gubernatorial seat will prove to be a costly gamble.

This is likely handing the incumbent governor, Susan Kihika, a victory on a silver platter. With former governor, Lee Kinyanjui, angling for a comeback, the race will be a two horse affair, with CPA Mwangi a fringe race outsider.

Riggy G, as Gachagua is fondly known as, looks like ruffling feathers with every of his perceived political enemies, and this will be exploited to the advantage of Susan Kihika or Lee Kinyanjui, depending on ground shift when campaigns commences proper.

Riggy G, during his recent tour of Nakuru county, didn't hide his disdain for Mr Kinyanjui, while at the same time landing digs at Ms Kihika. He cultivated the figure of a bully and his mantra of gather all and scatter none got scuttled in Nakuru. Pundits had expected him to back Tabitha Karanja Keroche, a known political nemesis of governor Kihika, to make it a closely contested race.

What disadvantages CPA Mwangi is lack of ground mobilization. This guy is hardly selling with masses, and will depend on Riggy G marketing of his candidacy, like the late Raila Odinga used to impose choice of his picks on the electorate even where the said pick wasn't the voters favourite.

With Susan in UDA and Kinyanjui in Ubuntu parties, we can conclude the DCP party won't win the Nakuru county governor seat, other than other seats, and if UDA carries the day, president William Ruto will have bragging rights in neutering the DCP wave, and will be praying the Ndindi Nyoro People Party of Kenya will grab seats in the wider Mt Kenya region.

Kalenjin vote is significant in Nakuru county, and as a block, the Kalenjins can't vote for a DCP governor and would likely to rally for any candidate seen as friendly to William Ruto. For instance, Ms Kihika is referred to as Chomelel by the Kalenjins, and Mr Kinyanjui is seen as an adopted Kalenjin and an illegitimate progeny of former president, Daniel arap Moi. Sections of Kalenjins view Riggy G as a polarizing figure, and this is what will cost CPA Mwangi.

Ms Kihika and Kinyanjui were fiercest rivals during the 2022 gubernatorial race, and both are raring for a similar faceoff.

The party that carries the day won't be the DCP.

Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 21, 2026 at 11:39 AM

    As a journalist or whatever, you should aim to educate people so they can make better-informed choices at the ballot not to mislead them into tribal sections.Such a waste of resources, this post. This blog is disrespectful to Nakuru people. You assume the voters will be carried on tribal waves, and in doing so, you are spreading tribalism.

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