Nyeri town MP accuses Gachagua of using intimidation in opposition’s power struggle
By Aloys Michael, December 3, 2025Nyeri Town MP Duncan Mathenge has accused the former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua of using intimidation and heavy-handed tactics to dominate the United Opposition ahead of the 2027 polls.
In an interview on a local TV station on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, the lawmaker drew parallels between Gachagua’s past leadership style, saying early signs of coercion were already undermining efforts to build a credible alternative to the government.
“The stop as he worked for the people who elected him, that intimidation, that dictatorship, that strong tactics and questioning is exactly what the guys in the United Opposition are experiencing currently,” he said.
The MP dismissed claims of agreed-upon zoning arrangements within the budding coalition, calling the narrative premature and misleading.
“Zoning is a concept. It does not happen two years before elections; it does not happen. Even before the players in a merger or a coalition have put pen to paper. There is no other than the intent to forge a united opposition. There is no single document that has been seen,” Mathenge argued.
This comes even as the opposition has yet to deliberate on who will compete against President William Ruto in an attempt to unseat him in the 2027 General Elections.
Meanwhile, each bigwig in the United Opposition has declared interest in running for the country’s top seat less than two years before the polls.
The anti-government troops have maintained that they are united, even as critics continue to cast doubt on their future amid internal rift claims.
Future of United Opposition
The MP has accused Gachagua and a small circle of allies of pushing the zoning debate to create an impression that coalition deals had already been sealed, despite key parties distancing themselves from such arrangements.
He implied that the backroom manoeuvres were being used to impose decisions on unsuspecting partners.
“Apparently unknown to DP, the Democratic Party led by Muturi, unknown to the Farmers Party led by unknown, to the DAP led by unknown, and to Jubilee, led by Akina Kioni and the retired President Uhuru, deals have been cut behind the curtains,” he stated.
He cited public statements by Wiper Patriotic Front Party lawmakers rejecting claims of pre-arranged zoning as evidence that the coalition was being built on shaky ground.
“The fact that the Wiper members have come up and said, ‘We have nothing. We have never discussed anything like this’ this is not the way to build a united coalition or a united opposition,” the MP said.
According to him, the internal tension reflects a deeper power struggle within the coalition’s top ranks.
“It tells you clearly that the pot, the cooking pot, where the idea of the United Opposition is happening, in that kitchen, there is a lot of fire. And apparently, some people have decided they are superior, they have a bigger say, and it is either this or you do not get our support. That is not the way to build a coalition.”
His remarks come amid rising criticism that recent by-elections served as an early test of the opposition’s cohesion, with analysts arguing that Gachagua is attempting to assert dominance over other heavyweights in the coalition.