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Speaking during a wide-ranging interview with a vernacular television station on Sunday, the DCP founder and leader confirmed he has a home in America. He said he would move there if divisions within the Mt Kenya region contributed to the opposition’s defeat in the presidential contest.

Nonetheless, Gachagua expressed confidence that the Opposition can beat Ruto.

“I am convinced that the Opposition will win if it does not allow itself to be divided,” he said.

“If our people allow themselves to be divided, I will just board a plane and go to the US. I have a home there,” he said.

Gachagua quipped that he would not wait until after the election to flee Kenya, particularly if Mt Kenya had been misled by its own leaders.

“If I see that our people have been misled and divided through their own leaders, because I will be woke, I will not be here in Kenya,” he added.

The former DP argued that he had done his best to unite the region, and therefore, he would not be answerable to anyone if he relocated to the U.S. with his family.

“I have tried to unite the region, so no one will ask me any question. No one will ask me the reason for fleeing. I will just go to America with my people because I have a home there,” he said.

Gachagua at the same time recounted the warm reception he received from Kenyans in the US during his two-month tour in the country.

According to Gachagua, he was treated like royalty, as Kenyans in the diaspora provided accommodation in private homes instead of hotels, food, transport, and personal items for him and his wife, Dorcas Gachagua.

“I want to thank our people in the US. I was accorded an unforgettable affection. They treated me like their king…like a young child. They came for me at the airport with flowers and they sang for me,” he said.

Gachagua described how his hosts brought food, did his laundry, and ironed his clothes, while others took him shopping.

“I was not staying in a hotel. Those with big houses were instructed by the community to relocate. We were given the space with Mama Gachagua to live until it was enough for us,” he said.

“They would take me to shops and ask me to pick what I want and don’t spend even a cent,” he said.

The DCP described the tour as a wholesome experience that was both socially and spiritually fulfilling.

“I have never been accorded such affection in my life,” he said.

Gachagua estimated that the U.S. tour cost about Ksh150 million, and he never spent a coin out of his pocket thanks to contributions and logistical support from Kenyans living in the US.

“My two-month trip cost Sh150 million, and I did not spend even a shilling. That money came from our people,” he said.

Gachagua also used the tour for self-reflection, spending part of his time in prayer and solitude.

“I had a moment of self-reflection in thoughts, prayers, and fasting, reflecting about our people and our country, as our people are not in a good situation,” he said.

Gachagua said the reflections strengthened his resolve to reach out to other Kenyan communities and build political alliances before the 2027 general election. He said he put the strategy into action as soon as he returned to Kenya, beginning with meetings at his home in Wamunyoro, Nyeri County.

“From that love, I decided to do all I can to defend our people at all cost,” he said.

Speaking to residents in Kiambaa, Ichung’wah warned that Gachagua’s rhetoric threatens to isolate the Mount Kenya region from the rest of Kenya. He urged voters to reject divisive politics, questioning where ordinary citizens without overseas property would go if political outcomes fail to suit individual leaders.

“He is trying to sell us hatred. I have heard others saying that if Ruto returns to office, he will relocate to America. You have a house there, but what of the Kiambu people who don’t? Where will they go? Let us not buy hatred. We cannot stand ourselves in this country alone; we need other Kenyans,” Ichung’wah said.

Ichung’wah also pushed back against the assumption that the region’s seven million registered voters will automatically rally behind a Kikuyu candidate. Highlighting the cosmopolitan nature of the region, he noted that out of Kiambu County’s 1.3 million registered voters, nearly 400,000 come from communities outside Mount Kenya.

The criticism follows similar reactions from other prominent political figures. Prof. Makau Mutua, head of the Panel on Compensation of Human Rights Violations and Protest Victims, called Gachagua’s bluff, urging him to pack his bags for the US immediately while asserting that Ruto’s re-election remains inevitable.

“I welcome Wamunyoro to flee to the US now because the die is cast for Tutam! He should save himself the trouble,” he said.

In a public statement on social media, Kibagendi questioned Gachagua’s authority to dictate terms to the broader opposition and accused him of attempting to dominate power-sharing talks ahead of the 2027 General Election. The discussions at the Nyeri residence involved Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna alongside other key opposition figures.

“When he invited Linda Mwananchi to Wamunyoro, I am informed that he demanded half of the government. Who does he think he is?” Kibagendi asked.

The lawmaker argued that several leaders had already built the opposition movement and challenged the Kenya Kwanza administration long before Gachagua joined their ranks following his impeachment. He raised concerns over whether Gachagua intends to control a future administration by installing leaders accountable directly to him.

Recalling a 2023 development meeting with Gusii lawmakers, Kibagendi alleged that Gachagua questioned why opposition MPs expected national government funding while opposing the administration.

According to Kibagendi, Gachagua told him to seek infrastructure and road development for Kitutu Chache South from the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Kibagendi walked out of the meeting despite attempts by fellow MPs, including Silvanus Osoro, to persuade him to stay.

The incident, he noted, cemented his decision to challenge the Kenya Kwanza administration over policies such as the housing levy and regional development imbalances.

Kibagendi also accused Gachagua of trying to isolate prominent opposition figures who hold independent political positions, citing former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, former CS Peter Munya, former Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza, and Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro.

Addressing Gachagua’s recent media interview on Inooro FM, Kibagendi rejected the former deputy president’s suggestion that he could form a government exclusively alongside Sifuna and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka. He warned that excluding key stakeholders undermines efforts to present a cohesive opposition front against President William Ruto.

Emphasizing that no individual holds exclusive ownership over the United Opposition, Kibagendi called for mutual respect across all member parties.

“I am not in any way demanding that Matiang’i or Sifuna or Kalonzo must be the opposition flag bearers, but there must be unity in the opposition; there has to be respect for everyone, and that unity should be on getting this oppressive regime out and making Kenya better,” Kibagendi said.

He warned that continued infighting and individual power plays will erode the opposition’s momentum and weaken its challenge to President Ruto in 2027.

McOure revealed that he has formally shifted the political allegiance he previously held for the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga directly to President Ruto. Moving forward, he pledged to align exclusively with individuals committed to securing a second term for the Head of State.

Addressing the personal toll of his decision, McOure noted that he has paid a heavy price for his political stance and will not permit individual agendas to derail Ruto’s campaign.

“President William Ruto’s decisive victory in 2027 will be my only ideological vindication. I have paid too dear a price to allow a few individuals to impose their selfish interests and potentially sabotage it,” he said.

He insisted that his endorsement of the Head of State remains non-negotiable and independent of third-party interests.

“The unwavering loyalty I once had for H.E. Raila Odinga has now been transferred to President William Ruto. Support for President Ruto must be unconditional. I consider it a matter of principle,” he added.

McOure’s stance comes amidst intense internal debate within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) regarding the terms of engagement with President Ruto ahead of 2027. While McOure offers direct endorsement, several ODM party leaders continue pushing for structured negotiations.

Prominent figures in the party, including National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed, Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, and Secretary General Catherine Omanyo, advocate for a formal broad-based alliance that explicitly guarantees ODM a 50 percent share of government positions and power.