DCP party leader Rigathi Gachagua during an interview on October 28, 2026/HANDOUT

DCP party leader Rigathi Gachagua has dismissed the Nyoro-Methu political exchange as petty politics, saying he is focused on building an opposition winning strategy ahead of the 2027 elections.

Gachagua said he would not be drawn into the dispute, insisting that his attention was on uniting opposition leaders and addressing issues affecting Kenyans.

The remarks come amid a sustained back-and-forth between Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro and Nyandarua Senator John Methu over whether the legislator contributed towards campaigns for the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election.

Nyoro dismissed Methu’s claims that he didn't contribute, saying he had given the senator an undisclosed amount of money directly, while another tranche was channelled through a different person.

“I will not deal with pettiness and trivialities. I am a national leader. I am a possible president of the Republic of Kenya in another nine months. I would like to be preserved to deal with national issues,” Gachagua said during an interview with a local station.

He said he had no intention of engaging in petty disputes, adding that his priority was to consolidate the opposition and develop a strategy to challenge President William Ruto’s administration.

Gachagua said he had already started engaging opposition leaders following his return to the country, citing his meeting with Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna as part of the efforts to craft a winning strategy.

He said he planned to meet other leaders and attend political events in different parts of the country as he continued mobilising support for the opposition.

“I have no time to entertain petty conversations. I have no time to listen to the trivialities. I have no intention of picking petty wars with anybody because I am a man on a mission,” he said.

Gachagua also dismissed suggestions that he was insecure about the activities of his political allies and their supporters, saying he had a responsibility to the people of Kenya that required him to remain focused.

“If you are having a meal, especially the meat we share as elders, you have to focus on the meal. Any distraction and you will not eat anything. If a fly passes by and you spend too much time on that fly, by the time you are through with it, you find there is no meat,” he said.

On Nyoro’s political position and his relationship with other parties, Gachagua said he was open to working with leaders who shared his political outlook, adding that the Kiharu MP was welcome to visit his Wamunyoro residence in Mathira, Nyeri County, where he holds political meetings.

“The honourable Ndindi Nyoro is a son of the mountain. Wamunyoro, he knows where it is. The gates are open and as long as he speaks my language, he does not require an appointment,” he said.

Gachagua emphasised that Mt Kenya residents had already made key political decisions on their preferred leader, party and the direction they wanted to take, warning that division posed the biggest threat to the community.

He cited the Ol Kalou by-election results as evidence that voters had made their choice, pointing to the 35,000 votes garnered by the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP).

“Other political parties are welcome. When we were in Ol Kalou for the by-election, I encouraged everybody to field candidates. The results are testimony that a decision has been made. DCP got 35,000 votes. My friend, that debate has been concluded,” he said.

Gachagua maintained that he would not be distracted by political exchanges as he pursued his wider national agenda, insisting that the opposition needed to concentrate on issues that mattered to Kenyans.