Natembeya: I will not support Gachagua if he vies for president
By Martin Oduor, March 11, 2026Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has issued a sharp, categorical rebuke to the presidential ambitions of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
In a high-stakes political declaration, the Governor stated definitively that he would not support Gachagua should the courts clear him to vie for the presidency in the 2027 General Election.
The Governor’s remarks, delivered during a late-night television interview on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, have sent ripples through the Kenyan political landscape, highlighting the hardening of alliances and the intensifying debate over regional power-sharing as the country approaches a new electoral cycle.
Addressing his relationship with Gachagua, Natembeya acknowledged their shared past in the provincial administration, while maintaining a clear distance from Gachagua’s current political agenda.
When the television host inquired, “DCP leader and former Deputy President Gachagua speaks very highly of you, your thoughts about him?”
Natembeya responded by emphasising their professional history rather than a political alliance.
“We share history, he was provincial administration like myself. Of cause he rose to up to a certain rank and went into business. We speak very frankly about issues affecting our people.”
The tone of the interview grew significantly more combative when the host questioned the potential of a Gachagua candidacy.
“If he is cleared by the court to run for president, would you support him?” the host asked.
Natembeya’s rejection was immediate and absolute.
“Aaaa mhhh no, no. No because I believe that the presidency should rotate. The Mt Kenya community has had it for around 43 years almost 30 something years one community. And again when you go there there isn’t much difference… like people in Kikendu in Murang’a and the people in Kabuchai there is really no difference. They’ve had a president we have not had the president but our lives is just the same.”
Governor Natembeya’s stance is rooted in a fundamental critique of the country’s political culture.
He argued that the intense competition for the presidency is fueled by a dangerous myth that access to the ‘largesse’ of state power is an automatic benefit for a president’s home community.
“We want to demystify this thing because people believe if you have the presidency, the entire community has access to certain largesse, it is not true,” Natembeya explained.
“So if Rigathi’s community still insists on having the presidency for the 40th time, it creates unhealthy competition where even people kill each other because of elections.”
This declaration marks a pivotal moment in Governor Natembeya’s political trajectory.
Having previously hinted at his own national ambitions and emphasising the need for a unified opposition, his refusal to back a Gachagua bid signals that the opposition camp remains deeply divided on who should serve as the flagbearer to challenge President William Ruto in the 2027 polls.
As Rigathi Gachagua continues his legal battle to overturn his impeachment and clear his path to the ballot, Natembeya’s firm opposition provides a glimpse into the internal frictions that will define the upcoming 2027 race.
The Governor’s focus on power rotation and his push to move beyond ethnic-based political mobilisation suggest a strategic attempt to appeal to a broader, disillusioned electorate beyond his North Rift base.