DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua with other opposition leaders pose for a photo with Murang'a Governor Irungu Kang'ata at Wamunyoro residence on July 24,2026 /XFormer Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's Wamunyoro residence has emerged as one of Kenya's busiest political addresses, evoking comparisons with President William Ruto's Karen command centre before the 2022 polls.
Gachagua describes the stream of delegations and meetings at his residence as courtesy calls and consultations. Analysts say they represent an effort to build an alternative political command centre.
Political analyst Albert Kasembeli calls the comparison with Karen. He says Ruto’s residence evolved from a private home into the operational headquarters of the Kenya Kwanza movement after his falling out with former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Karen became the venue where coalition negotiations were held, campaign strategies refined and political alliances forged long before the official campaign period.
"People should be careful not to assume history repeats itself simply because leaders are holding meetings in their homes.
“Karen worked because Ruto had a united coalition behind him. Wamunyoro may be attracting leaders, but the opposition is yet to agree on a single candidate or common strategy," Kasembeli said.
He, however, said Wamunyoro is increasingly looking like Ruto’s Karen command centre, with activities such as candidate endorsements, grassroots mobilisation and receiving growing number of defections from rival parties.
"Wamunyoro is gradually becoming an alternative political command centre where leaders meet, build alliances and project influence, much like Karen did before the 2022 elections," he said.
Gachagua was impeached as Deputy President in October 2024.
Ruto recently reinforced Karen's political significance, revealing that he used his two-year falling out with his boss, then-President Uhuru Kenyatta, to develop the Kenya Kwanza manifesto from the Karen residence.
"I want to thank my predecessor, President Uhuru Kenyatta,” Ruto said. “He gave me leave of absence for two years. I used that time to write this manifesto," adding that he worked with close advisers from his Karen office to develop the document that later became the coalition's blueprint.
The pattern of political consultations at Wamunyoro is increasingly reinforcing perceptions that Gachagua is adopting a strategy similar to the one Ruto employed from Karen before the 2022 election. He is known as the man from Wamunyoro. And the strategy is an obvious one: set up a gathering place and consultation-command centre.
On Wednesday, Gachagua welcomed 24 sitting MCAs from Laikipia and Nakuru counties who defected from UDA, The Service Party and other parties to the Democracy for Citizens Party.
"The mass exodus from UDA, TSP and other wheelbarrow outfits to DCP is gaining momentum and by December they will be mere shells.
“I am pleased to have received 24 sitting MCAs from Laikipia and Nakuru counties who paid me a visit at Wamunyoro Residence," Gachagua posted on his social media platforms.
He posted after hosting a delegation of leaders from Nyandarua, Nyeri, Nakuru as well as leaders from Somali community.
Visitors to Wamunyoro include Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, PLP leader Martha Karua, Safina's Jimi Wanjigi, former Attorney General Justin Muturi and former Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi.
Speaking recently, the former DP said Wamunyoro would remain open to leaders from across the country seeking political consultations.
"The doors of Wamunyoro are open to everyone who wishes to consult with us on how to liberate our country and restore good governance," he said.
Kipipiri MP Wanjiku Muhia during an interview with Star on Wednesday argued that political critics have underestimatedGachagua's role in the formation of Kenya Kwanza 2022 and thus he is currently designing strategies to defeat Ruto in 2027.
Muhia said that the comparison ignores the DCP leader’s central role in crafting the grassroots mobilisation strategy that propelled the Kenya Kwanza alliance to power.
In her view, Gachagua is not replicating another politician's model but building on political strategies he helped formulate while serving in the coalition's top leadership.
"You cannot accuse the architect of copying his own blueprint. Gachagua helped shape the 2022 strategy, and Wamunyoro is building on that experience."
She said Wamunyoro has organically evolved into a political consultation centre because leaders still view the former DP as a key opposition figure.
Gatanga MP Edward Muriu said Wamunyoro has steadily transformed from the former Gachagua’s private residence into a powerful political symbol, arguing that it now serves as the heartbeat of the "wantam" movement.
Muriu said, the growing stream of governors, MPs, MCAs, professionals, clergy, business leaders and grassroots mobilisers demonstrates that the residence has become more than a venue for meetings and is now serving as a rallying point where political ideas are refined.
" Leaders from across the country are coming there because serious political conversations are taking place.”
He maintained that the residence has acquired a significance similar to other historic political meeting points in Kenya, saying its continued prominence reflects the growing confidence of leaders seeking to forge new alliances.
"People are not travelling to Wamunyoro by coincidence. They are coming because they believe it has become a centre of consultation, consensus building and political organisation," Muriu added.
Former Ruiru MP and Ruiru parliamentary aspirant Esther Gathogo said Gachagua has defied expectations by remaining politically relevant despite his exit from government. She said many politicians fade from the national stage after leaving office, but the former DP has continued to command attention through regular engagements with leaders from across the country.
"The true test of a politician comes after leaving office. Many disappear from the political scene, but Gachagua has remained visible and accessible.
“The continued flow of delegations to Wamunyoro shows he remains a significant player in national politics," Gathogo told The Star.
She said the DCP leader’s sustained political engagements have kept him at the centre of opposition politics.
"Whether one agrees with Gachagua’s politics or not, you cannot ignore his political resilience. He has continued to attract leaders, professionals and ordinary wananchi without the machinery of government behind him. That demonstrates he remains a key player in Kenya's evolving political landscape."
Political analyst Josphat Kamanya, however, disagreed with the notion that Wamunyoro’s growing prominence automatically translates into political strength.
Speaking to the Star, he said Gachagua is using the meetings to cultivate the perception that he remains the Mt Kenya region's principal political figure.
He said the steady flow of delegations to Wamunyoro is part of a political branding strategy aimed at projecting influence and attracting more leaders to his camp.
"Gachagua is using Wamunyoro to project the image that he is the region's political kingpin and can command significant support. It is a smart political strategy, but perception should not be confused with political reality," Kamanya said.
He said that unlike Ruto's Karen residence before the 2022 polls, Wamunyoro is yet to produce the political milestones that defined Kenya Kwanza's rise to power.
"Karen delivered unity and victory. Wamunyoro has generated political buzz, but the opposition is yet to produce a united front," he said.
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku on Wednesday claimed on social media that politicians are being scammed at Wamunyoro during their visits.
Ruku, who has urging Mt Kenya leaders to rally behind DP Kithure Kindiki as Ruto's preferred running mate in 2027, dismissed the political meetings at Wamunyoro as a money-making venture.
"Wagombeaji kutoka West wananyofolewa pale Wamunyoro. Deposit ni milioni kumi. Pale ni soko kubwa inaendelea kwa sasa," Ruku posted.
Kikuyu Council of Elders national chairman Wachira Kiago echoed the need for caution, saying the country had entered a politically delicate period and leaders should prioritise unity over competition for regional supremacy.
Kiago said Kenya could not afford another cycle of political hostility, urging leaders to embrace dialogue as the country heads towards the general election.
"Politics has become increasingly complicated, and leaders must be careful not to push Kenyans towards unnecessary divisions. The country cannot afford another period of political tension or violence."
He added that while Gachagua has emerged as one of the country’s most influential opposition figures, that should not be interpreted to mean he has replaced former President Kenyatta as Mt Kenya political kingpin.
"Former President Uhuru Kenyatta remains the region's kingpin, and that is not in dispute,” Kiago said. “The council has never held any meeting to strip him of that position. At the same time, Rigathi Gachagua has risen to become one of the most influential political voices in the country.
“Instead of competing, Uhuru, Gachagua and other leaders should speak in one voice for the unity of the region and the stability of the country," the Kikuyu elder said.
Kobia Koome, Meru MCA aspirant and political analyst, argued that Gachagua’s current political script mirrors what happened in Karen in 2022 but he said the political contexts are different.
"There are clear similarities, but the contexts are different. By this stage in 2022, Ruto was already Kenya Kwanza's presidential candidate with coalition talks at an advanced stage. The opposition at Wamunyoro is yet to agree on a candidate or common agenda," Koome said.
He said that any successful political movements often develop around symbolic locations.
"Political movements need symbolic spaces. Over time, those venues become part of a movement's identity, though that alone does not guarantee electoral victory," he added.
Murera MCA Moses Ngatha said Wamunyoro has become the centre of grassroots political mobilisation in the Mt Kenya region, arguing that the growing number of leaders visiting the residence reflects increasing confidence in Gachagua's leadership.
He said unlike formal political rallies, the meetings at Wamunyoro provide leaders with an opportunity to engage in candid discussions on the region's political future and the opposition's strategy.
"Leaders are not being summoned to Wamunyoro. They come because they believe it has become an important centre for consultation and grassroots mobilisation," Ngatha said.
He argued that the former DP’s continued engagement with leaders from across the country demonstrates his determination.
