Three opposition leaders from the Mount Kenya region have accused former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua of undermining their political parties, exposing growing tensions within the opposition as efforts to build a united front ahead of the next General Election intensify.

Democratic Party (DP) leader Justin Muturi, Party of National Unity (PNU) leader Peter Munya and Devolution Empowerment Party (DEP) leader Lenny Kivuti dismissed claims that they had been asked to dissolve their parties and join Gachagua’s Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP).

The leaders urged Gachagua to tone down what they described as divisive pronouncements and instead pursue inclusive dialogue with other parties involved in the opposition coalition.

They maintained that all political parties should be treated as equal partners and cautioned opposition leaders against making remarks that belittle their colleagues or suggest that one party has greater authority over the region.

“We don’t have kings, and we have never had one in the Mount Kenya region,” Munya said.

Muturi said no individual or political party should claim a superior position within the opposition, arguing that every coalition partner had a right to make independent decisions.

“There’s nobody who is a passenger. We are all in one boat. No one should claim higher moral ground than the other if we honestly believe in what we preach,” Muturi said.

“It is the responsibility and obligation of every leader within the United Alternative Government to respect the decisions of other parties.”

The remarks follow accusations that Gachagua has been aggressively promoting DCP at the expense of other opposition parties and pressuring regional leaders to fold their outfits and join his party.

His critics have accused him of attempting to establish DCP as the dominant political vehicle in Mount Kenya while dismissing parties that have operated in the region for years.

DCP leaders, however, rejected claims that Gachagua had belittled anyone.

DCP Secretary-General and Nyandarua Senator John Methu said the party was merely building its support base and could not be expected to campaign for its political competitors.

Methu said every party had a responsibility to recruit members, organize aspirants and build the numbers it would eventually bring into a coalition.

“We in DCP are holding, on average, eight forums daily to market our party and organize aspirants,” Methu said.

“Every party and every party leadership should mobilize for support and take their numbers to coalitions of their choice.”

He also accused Muturi of applying double standards in questioning Gachagua’s influence in the region.

“Mr. Muturi was launched in 2022 in Mount Kenya shrines as the Mount Kenya spokesman. It was good for Mount Kenya to have a spokesman in 2022, but it is wrong for the same region to have Gachagua as spokesman. Such double standards,” Methu said.

The dispute comes as opposition leaders seek to maintain unity while simultaneously expanding their individual parties ahead of the 2027 elections.

On Tuesday, Gachagua held talks with Wiper Patriotic Front (WPF) leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) leader Eugene Wamalwa in Nairobi.

The meeting was described as part of ongoing consultations aimed at strengthening opposition unity and developing a common political strategy.

In a joint statement, the leaders said they had discussed key national issues and agreed on the need for sustained collaboration among opposition forces.

“We continue our engagements, strengthening the unity of the opposition as we work together to restore hope and deliver the Kenya that our people deserve,” Kalonzo said.

The leaders said the talks were another step towards consolidating the opposition and building what they described as a credible alternative government.

However, the public exchange between DCP and its regional partners underlines the challenge facing the opposition as leaders balance coalition unity with competition for members, candidates and political influence.

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