Eldas MP Adan Keynan /HANDOUT
Eldas MP Adan Keynan has declared former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua the new political leader of the Mt Kenya region following the Democracy for the Citizens Party's (DCP) commanding victory in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election.
Speaking during an interview on NTV, Keynan said the outcome marked a significant political shift in the region, arguing that the once-dominant Jubilee Party had effectively been displaced.
"The Ol Kalou seat was a Jubilee seat. Jubilee has been vanquished, and that is my party," he said.
The legislator, who has long been associated with Jubilee, said the defeat should serve as a wake-up call for the party's leadership.
"Remember I was among the first, after we lost the seat, to say we need to go back to the drawing board and come up with a plan to reinvigorate and bring back Jubilee to its original purpose," he said.
According to Keynan, the by-election delivered one unmistakable political message.
"The first lesson is that Jubilee has been vanquished.
There is a new general, and this must be said. Riggy G is now the battle
general in Mt Kenya."
While distancing himself from Gachagua's political positions, Keynan acknowledged the former Deputy President's growing influence across the vote-rich region.
"The people of Ol Kalou have listened to his whims. I don't agree with Gachagua's whims, but the people of Ol Kalou agreed," he said.
The Ol Kalou parliamentary seat fell vacant following the death of area MP David Kiaraho in March.
What began as a routine by-election soon evolved into a high-stakes political contest between President William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Gachagua's Democracy for the Citizens Party, with both camps viewing the race as a measure of political supremacy in Mt Kenya.
DCP candidate Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru secured a landslide victory after garnering 35,440 votes, comfortably defeating UDA's Samuel Muchina Nyagah, who received 5,450 votes.
Following the result, Gachagua described the victory as a triumph for the Mt Kenya region, claiming voters had rejected intimidation and vote-buying to elect his preferred candidate.
The win significantly strengthens DCP's foothold in Parliament and boosts Gachagua's political standing ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Despite acknowledging Gachagua's growing influence, Keynan called for restraint among political leaders, urging them to avoid actions that could heighten political tensions.
"To politicians, Kenya is a democracy. Let's not allow our country to plunge into unnecessary strife," he said.
The Eldas MP also commended the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for conducting the by-election under difficult circumstances.
"In my opinion, the IEBC did their best. There was a lot of criticism and emotions, and they worked under very difficult circumstances," he said.
