Eldas MP Adan Keynan has named former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua as the new political leader of the Mt Kenya region, following Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) candidate Sammy Kamau Ngotho’s resounding victory in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election.
Keynan said the outcome signaled a major political shift in the region. He argued that the once-dominant Jubilee Party had effectively been pushed aside.
“The Ol Kalou seat was a Jubilee seat. Jubilee has been vanquished, and that is my party,” he said during an interview on NTV.
Keynan, who has long been associated with Jubilee, said the defeat should push the party’s leadership to rethink its approach.
“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.
The legislator said the by-election delivered a clear 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 Rigathi Gachagua’s political positions, Adan Keynan acknowledged the former Deputy President’s growing influence across the vote-rich Mt Kenya 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.
Even as he pointed to that influence, Keynan urged political leaders to exercise restraint and avoid moves that could inflame tensions.
“To politicians, Kenya is a democracy. Let’s not allow our country to plunge into unnecessary strife,” he said.
Keynan also praised the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for running the by-election under challenging conditions.
“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.
