Gatundu South MP Gabriel Kagombe addressing a DCP rally in his constituency on August 16, 2026/ HANDOUTGatundu South MP Gabriel Kagombe was heckled by residents in his constituency as he addressed a Democracy for Citizens Party rally, exposing the political difficulties facing his recent defection.
The MP, who recently left the United Democratic Alliance, was immediately heckled as soon as he was invited to address the crowd by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Kagombe sought to win over the hostile crowd by presenting his move to DCP as a political transformation, likening himself to Saul, the biblical figure who became Paul after his conversion.
However, residents jeered and throughout his speech while waving their DCP hats.
“I came here as Saul, but now I have become Paul. I have thrown away this hat. Put this one on me because I have joined the DCP,” Kagombe said as he removed and threw away his cap, putting on the DCP-branded one.
The reception came after Kagombe, who was elected Gatundu South MP on a UDA ticket in 2022, made a dramatic political shift from the ruling party to Gachagua's opposition outfit.
Kagombe had earlier cited growing disillusionment among his constituents over unfulfilled government promises, particularly stalled Mau Mau roads and unmet commitments to tea farmers, as some of his reasons for his shift.
He told Gachagua that he was willing to undergo the party's vetting process and have his political record scrutinised before being fully accepted into the DCP camp.
He appealed to the party leadership to examine his conduct and political history, saying he would not return to the political camp he had abandoned. He also thanked Gatundu residents for accepting him despite the hostile reception during his address.
"Najua hapa kuna vetting committee. Your excellency, mimi nimekubali. Tukae nao, waniangalie, watu wa akina Gacheri, watu wa akina Thang’wa, waniangalie kwa makini na waseme kama mimi nafaa…"
Kagombe's defection is part of a wider political realignment in Central Kenya, where several leaders who backed President William Ruto in the 2022 election are reassessing their political alliances ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Gachagua, who took over the microphone after Kagombe's address, leaders supporting Ruto but willing to decamp to the opposition will have to face the electorate.
"I have told all these leaders who are with Ruto that I have no problem with them. Let them come to the people. It is the people who decide,” Gachagua said.
The former deputy president has been using DCP to build a political base across Mt Kenya and is working with other opposition leaders to popularise a united opposition movement ahead of the 2027 elections.
The push has heightened competition for the Mt Kenya vote, which remains one of the country's most politically influential blocs. The region overwhelmingly backed Ruto in 2022 but has since witnessed growing political divisions following his fallout with Gachagua.
Many political leaders in the Central region are expected to make similar moves as the united opposition continues to popularise its agenda and court politicians who remain in government-aligned parties.
The realignment is also unfolding against the backdrop of a renewed battle over the political identity of Mt Kenya, with rival factions disagreeing on whether the region should maintain a united political front or be divided into eastern and western blocs.
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has been at the centre of calls for Mt Kenya East, comprising Meru, Embu and Tharaka Nithi, to pursue a more independent political and development agenda from Mt Kenya West.
Ruku has argued that the eastern side of the mountain has historically received a smaller share of development and political opportunities. He has cited disparities in infrastructure, including road development, in making the case for greater consideration of Mt Kenya East.
His position has, however, attracted resistance from leaders allied to Gachagua, who argue that dividing Mt Kenya would weaken the region's collective bargaining power ahead of the 2027 election.
