Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has described the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP)’s victory in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election as a historic moment, saying it mirrors past political milestones in Nyandarua County and signals a shift in Kenya’s political landscape.

Writing on X on Friday, July 17, 2026, Gachagua thanked the people of Kipipiri for supporting the opposition campaign and singled out Kipipiri MP Wanjiku Muhia for leading the DCP campaign in Ol Kalou alongside Nyandarua Senator John Methu.

“Thank you, my great Kipipiri people, for allowing your great daughter Wanjiku Muhia to lead the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election campaign for our DCP Party candidate alongside Senator John Methu. We won courtesy of their meticulous planning,” Gachagua said.

The former DP has praised residents for their patience and commitment during the campaign, saying Muhia had returned home “with victory and dignity” after helping steer the opposition to a crucial win.

The former deputy president argued that the outcome had injected fresh optimism among Kenyans who are seeking political change ahead of the 2027 general election.

“The Ol Kalou win has given fresh hope to the people of Kenya that against all odds, the people are supreme,” he said.

Famous Kipipiri by-election

In the wake of the Ol Kalou by-election, Gachagua has revived the famous political phrase “Moi aonja pilipili Kipipiri”, drawing comparisons with the historic 1995 Kipipiri parliamentary by-election.

At the time, President Daniel arap Moi’s KANU government poured massive resources into the constituency in a bid to secure victory, only to suffer a stunning defeat to the opposition.

The loss became a defining moment in Kenya’s multiparty politics and gave birth to the saying, which has since symbolised the political cost of an incumbent government losing despite deploying significant state resources.

Three decades later, the Ol Kalou outcome has rekindled memories of that historic contest, with many describing it as history repeating itself in Nyandarua.

“History has been repeated from Kipipiri to Ol Kalou, 1994–2026,” Gachagua noted, drawing parallels between the latest victory and past political developments in the region that he believes reshaped local politics.

The victory has energised the DCP and its allies, who have portrayed the result as evidence of growing public dissatisfaction with the Kenya Kwanza administration despite an intensive campaign mounted by the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

The Ol Kalou by-election has quickly emerged as one of the most politically significant contests ahead of 2027, with the opposition reading the outcome as an early indicator of the shifting political mood, particularly in the Mt Kenya region.