Opposition leaders allied to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua scampered to safety after police fired teargas on Saturday during a rally in Gilgil town, August 2, 2025. /JOHN METHU
Opposition leaders allied to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua were on Saturday teargassed by police while holding a rally in Gilgil town, Nakuru county.
The team, led by Nyandarua Senator John Methu, has been traversing major towns across the Mt Kenya region to rally support for a united opposition front in Gachagua’s absence.
Gachagua is currently in the US alongside former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, where they are holding town hall meetings with diaspora Kenyans as part of early efforts to build momentum ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Back home, Methu and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka have kept the ‘WanTam’ campaign alive, declaring their resolve to block President William Ruto’s re-election bid.
In a post on X, Methu claimed police “once again disrupted our peaceful meeting in Gilgil town.”
He shared several photos showing residents fleeing as security officers clung to politicians' vehicles during a chaotic, teargas-filled exit from the venue.
“You can teargas us all you want, but we shall not relent. #WanTam,” he added defiantly.
Opposition leaders allied to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua drive away in haste after police fired teargas and disrupted their rally in Gilgil town on Saturday, August 2, 2025. /JOHN METHUMeanwhile, in Dallas, Gachagua said he had a “productive engagement with Kenyans living and working in the State of the Lone Star.”
Accompanied by his wife, Pastor Dorcas Rigathi, the former DP said the spirit of unity and resilience among Kenyans in Texas “deeply reflects the very spirit of my fellow Kenyans back home.”
“In the spirit of our party, DCP, philosophy, I have listened to them, and they have listened to me. The intersection remains; Kenya must be liberated,” he posted on X.
Gachagua condemned the Gilgil incident as “cowardly” and warned that the government’s fear of the unknown was pushing the country dangerously close to a dictatorial path.
"Despite these cowardly actions, our resilience and commitment have shone brighter than ever. To our team, it is always darkest before dawn. Keep up the good work. Kenyans are ticking the box!"
