Former Deputy President and leader of the Democracy for the Citizens (DCP) party, Rigathi Gachagua, has raised serious concerns about Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen deploying security personnel and alleged state-sponsored operatives to undermine a DCP political campaign in Ol Kalou, Nyandarua County.
In a statement shared on his X account on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, Gachagua claimed that a special police unit had been sent to the location, accusing its members of abducting and assaulting DCP supporters.
Gachagua reported that these officers and operatives arrived in Ol Kalou just hours before the scheduled political events, initiating what he described as a targeted crackdown on his supporters.
“Our teams are currently trapped at the Royal Garden Hotel, facing aggressive actions from police and state-backed militias. Goons are attempting to break into the hotel,” Gachagua stated.
He further emphasized that DCP campaigners have endured unwarranted beatings and forced abductions, alleging that the government is using security forces to intimidate opposition members.
Gachagua expressed gratitude to the residents of Ol Kalou for their resilience against the alleged operation, commending them for their support of his political movement in the face of reported violence.
In his statement, he asserted, “Ol Kalou is not Mbeere,” referencing a previous by-election where the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) triumphed over the opposition to secure a parliamentary seat in the Mbeere North constituency in November 2025.
The upcoming by-elections in Ol Kalou, scheduled for July 16, 2026, have escalated into a significant contest between the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Democracy for the Citizens party (DCP).
These elections are increasingly viewed as a critical struggle for dominance in the vote-rich Mount Kenya region, with both sides striving to outpace the other.
The united opposition has accused the government of employing police brutality and state-sponsored operatives to disrupt their meetings, while the government counters that the opposition is behind the sponsorship of these operatives in an attempt to frame the administration.
