'Stay away from Kenya,' Gachagua tells tourists, investors over insecurity

Speaking on Sunday during a church service at the ACK St. Thomas Cathedral in Kerugoya, Kirinyaga Central Constituency, Gachagua said the country was no longer safe and advised visitors and investors to hold off until next year.

"Our tourists are not safe in our country. There are too many goons. Tourists should suspend their visits until next year," he said. "Investors should keep away from Kenya. We are telling investors to stay away until next year."

The remarks came days after his party's commanding victory in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, a result Gachagua used to renew his attacks on President William Ruto and to declare that the 2027 General Election would be a straight contest between the President and the Mt Kenya community.

Turning to the Ol Kalou result, Gachagua thanked residents for what he called defending the dignity of the Mt Kenya people, saying the whole country had been waiting to see the political direction the constituency would take.

"Despite all those goodies, they voted for the right candidate," he said, accusing the government of pouring resources into the campaign. He claimed the President had launched development worth 1.4 billion shillings and that a further 1.2 billion had gone into swaying voters, alleging that one woman had told him she received 90,000 shillings in campaign handouts.

By his own calculation, he claimed, every vote Ruto's side secured in Ol Kalou had cost about Ksh.3M

"Hiyo ilikuwa rehearsal," he said, framing the by-election as a preview of 2027. "Uchaguzi ya Ol Kalou ilikuwa mashindano ya William Ruto na community. 2027 will be a contest between William Ruto and the community."

Gachagua pressed his central message of Mt Kenya unity, arguing that the President could only win by splitting the region. He claimed Ruto had enlisted allies, among them Public Service CS Geoffrey Ruku, to divide the mountain.

"The only way William Ruto comes to power is by dividing the mountain. Once we are united as a mountain, as a community, our votes added to other Kenyans, ataenda nyumbani," he said. "We cannot divide this mountain. If we are divided, huyu jamaa atarudi."

He said DCP was the vehicle for that unity and appealed for loyal support, telling the congregation that a committed core of members would carry his cause. "Chama ni DCP," he said. "Mkinipea wajumbe 100 wale loyal, mtakuwa mmenisaidia."

Gachagua added that he would take his message across the wider Mt Kenya region once he wrapped up his current engagements, naming Meru and Embu among his next stops.

"Mimi nikimaliza kazi niko nayo Wamunyoro, nitaenda Meru na Embu siku sita," he said. "Niende niongee na watu wetu tuelewane."

Gachagua went on to accuse the President of betrayal, claiming he had sacked young people from jobs and deployed goons, and alleged that Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen was behind the hired groups.

"Murkomen ndiye anapanga goons," he charged.

Earlier in the service, Gachagua urged the church to only accept donations and Harambee contributions from clean sources, cautioning against money drawn from the Social Health Authority (SHA) or capitation meant for schools.

"Sisi tumekuja kuchangia kanisa na pesa ambazo tumeuza ng'ombe, sio kutoka kwa SHA au capitation," he said.

The Sunday remarks come days after a hard-fought by-election that many residents described as one of the most expensive political contests in the country's history, marked by handouts, gifts, intensive mobilisation and last-minute government development projects.

On Thursday, July 16, 2026, voters turned out in large numbers, recording a 57 per cent turnout that is unusually high for a parliamentary by-election.

DCP supporters remained stationed at several polling centres to guard against feared interference, while pockets of violence were reported across the constituency, with hooded armed men allegedly moving in Toyota Land Cruisers and Prado vehicles causing disruptions.

Undeterred, residents mounted civilian roadblocks on major roads leading into the constituency, stopping and inspecting vehicles, including police vehicles, in a bid to protect the integrity of the vote. Coupled with close monitoring of tallying centres and coordinated updates from polling stations to social media, that vigilance saw supporters track the counting process closely.

By the end of the exercise, DCP had secured a commanding win. Its candidate, now MP-elect Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru, garnered 35,440 votes, defeating UDA's Samuel Muchina Nyaga, who received 5,450 votes.

A former agricultural economist who served as Member of the Nyandarua County Assembly for Karau Ward, Kamau now heads to the National Assembly in a swift political rise.

His victory is widely seen as a major boost for the DCP in the Mt Kenya region and a significant statement as parties position themselves for 2027.