Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua is expected to make his first public outing since returning from a lengthy trip abroad when he attends the Harambee Stars’ Africa Nations Championship quarter-final clash against Madagascar at Kasarani.
The announcement came late Thursday, just hours after his absence was felt at the much-publicised Kamukunji rally that was to mark his political comeback. “DCP Party Leader Hon. Rigathi Gachagua to attend the Harambee Stars vs Madagascar quarter-finals match in Kasarani tomorrow,” the party declared in a message to its supporters.
The move sparked mixed reactions online. Some welcomed the gesture as a show of solidarity with the national team, while others pressed him to emulate President William Ruto by offering financial backing. “Let him give something to the team; we are not seeing his motivational support to Harambee Stars,” one supporter argued.
Gachagua’s return from a 42-day stay in the United States where he championed his ‘Wantam’ campaign against the President was anything but quiet. His arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport was marked by crowds of loyalists, police presence, and speculation over his next political steps.
Tension heightened further when his much-touted Kamukunji address failed to take off. The DCP leadership accused authorities of laying a trap to arrest him at the venue. “We wanted to receive our party leader, but they deployed police officers. They planned to apprehend him, but we said no,” Deputy Party Leader Cleophas Malala alleged.
Gachagua’s choice of a football match rather than a political rally for his comeback stage is telling signalling a softer, less confrontational re-entry while still commanding attention. Whether this football diplomacy will win him fresh political ground remains to be seen.
