Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has stepped up his preparations for the 2027 presidential election, mobilising his old political network in Mt Kenya and signalling that his campaign is moving from consultations to grassroots mobilisation.
Gachagua on Monday hosted about 3,000 grassroots mobilisers and political allies at his Wamunyoro residence in Nyeri, where he sought their backing for his bid to become President in the August 10, 2027 General Election.
The meeting offered the clearest indication yet of the former deputy president's intention to transform his extensive grassroots network into an electoral machine as he seeks to challenge President William Ruto and shape the opposition's 2027 contest.
Gachagua said many of those attending had worked with him during his tenure as Mathira MP and remained his close political associates.
He thanked them for standing with him throughout his political career, particularly after his fallout with President Ruto that culminated in his removal from the Deputy Presidency.
"I took the opportunity to thank them for their support throughout my political journey and for standing with me at my lowest when Mr William Ruto hounded me from office," Gachagua said.
The former deputy president said he briefed the group on his ongoing political consultations and sought their blessings as he pursues the presidency.
He also gave the grassroots network a new assignment — maintain his political base in the Mt Kenya region as he travels across the country seeking support.
"I have tasked them to take care of home as I move around the country, marshalling support," he said.
The meeting comes as Gachagua intensifies efforts to build a national coalition ahead of the 2027 election, with his Wamunyoro residence increasingly becoming an important centre for political consultations.
In recent months, delegations from different parts of the country have visited the former deputy president, providing him with a platform to discuss political alliances, regional grievances and the shape of the next electoral contest.
Gachagua has been holding consultations with community leaders, religious figures and grassroots networks as he positions himself for the 2027 contest.
But Monday's gathering was significant for its size and the direct mobilisation message delivered by Gachagua.
Rather than merely consulting political elders or opinion leaders, he brought together thousands of people who were part of his political machinery during his Mathira years.
He immediately deployed them for another mobilisation exercise.
Gachagua announced that the group would organise what he called a "mother of all rallies" in Karatina on Tuesday afternoon.
He promised a gathering on a scale not witnessed in the constituency since independence.
"I have also tasked them with organising a mother of all rallies in Karatina Town tomorrow afternoon, the likes of which have never been seen in the constituency since independence," he said.
The planned Karatina rally is likely to provide an early test of Gachagua's ability to translate his political standing in his traditional backyard into visible grassroots numbers.
It also comes at a time when the former deputy president has been increasingly presenting himself as a national political figure rather than merely a Mt Kenya politician.
His political strategy has included reaching beyond Central Kenya, with previous engagements involving leaders and grassroots delegations from regions including Narok, Kajiado, Samburu and Western Kenya.
Gachagua has simultaneously been courting young voters.
In March, he launched an aggressive voter mobilisation message under the "Niko Kadi" campaign, urging young Kenyans to register and participate in the 2027 election. The former deputy president said he wanted six million young people registered ahead of the poll.
His latest mobilisation of former Mathira political allies therefore points to a two-track strategy: consolidate his traditional political base while expanding his appeal nationally.
For Gachagua, the challenge will be turning the goodwill generated by political meetings into a coalition capable of delivering votes outside Mt Kenya.
The former deputy president has already declared his intention to seek the presidency, although the wider opposition landscape remains fluid, with several politicians positioning themselves for the same contest.
His emergence as a presidential contender has also complicated the arithmetic of efforts to build a single opposition ticket against Ruto.
The former deputy president has consistently attacked the Ruto administration since his dramatic fallout with the President, accusing it of failing Kenyans and abandoning promises made during the 2022 campaign.
At the same time, his opponents have questioned whether his political base can extend sufficiently beyond Mt Kenya to deliver a national presidential victory.
Gachagua appears determined to answer that question through sustained grassroots mobilisation.
And on Monday, he gave his supporters a simple message as he prepared to leave his political backyard and embark on a national campaign:
"The future remains green!"
The Karatina rally will now provide the first immediate measure of whether the political machinery assembled at Wamunyoro can deliver the numbers Gachagua is promising as the 2027 contest gathers momentum.
