Orengo Apologises After Accidentally Telling Opposition to Send Kalonzo Home

Opposition leaders used the burial of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s elder sister in Nyeri County on Saturday to push for a united front ahead of the August 2027 General Election.

Speaking at the funeral of Eunice Nyangari Gachagua in Kieni constituency, figures from rival political formations called for cooperation to challenge President William Ruto, even though they have yet to agree on a formal coalition or a joint presidential candidate.

Those in attendance included Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Siaya Governor James Orengo, former Chief Justice David Maraga, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa, and Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga.

Gachagua, who leads the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), used the occasion to offer an olive branch to Mt Kenya politicians who have aligned with rival camps, while warning that voters would reject anyone who continues to work against the region’s interests.

"I want to appeal to everybody... Those who betrayed our community, we have forgiven you. Return home, come and unite with the people and they will forgive you," Gachagua said, adding that religious leaders had advised him to seek reconciliation.

He compared next year’s political contest to the Mau Mau independence struggle, stating that residents would rely on voter cards and ballots rather than weapons.

"The journey we face next year, I look at it as a replica of the Mau Mau movement. The only difference is that we are not going to the bush. We are not taking guns and bullets. Our gun is the ID. Our bullet is a vote," he said.

Gachagua linked his stance against political betrayal to his family's history during the colonial era. He said his father worked as a gunsmith for Mau Mau fighters while his mother supplied them with food and intelligence in the Mt Kenya forests.

According to Gachagua, home guards reported his parents to British colonial authorities, leading to repeated raids on their home that left his late sister traumatized.

"She dreaded collaborators and traitors of the community and I have taken it from her. I am personally allergic to traitors of our community," he said.

He cited the two home guards who helped capture Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi, claiming residents boycotted a public transport vehicle the men bought with their reward money, leaving them broke and isolated.

"I want to tell those people who have betrayed our people, you will suffer the fate of those two home guards who shot Dedan Kimathi," Gachagua said, pledging to restore the dignity of Nyeri residents next year.

Gachagua also outlined his vision for a future administration, saying it must pair seasoned politicians with younger leaders to avoid repeating past mistakes.

"And the government we are going to form, we must have a blend of experienced, tested leaders working together with young, energetic leaders. Then this country will stand," he said. "I have made a conscious decision to prepare the next generation of leaders so that we never find ourselves in the hole we are in."

Former Chief Justice David Maraga, who has declared interest in the presidency, urged Gachagua and other opposition figures not to squander the chance to bring Kenyans together.

"Gachagua, you stand a chance of uniting this country and it will never be the same again. We lose that unity, Kenya will never be the same again. Let us get it right," Maraga said.

Siaya Governor James Orengo accused President Ruto of repeatedly violating the constitution and said opposition leaders must work together to restore accountable governance.

"I am confident that Gachagua, if you're on the front line, and Kalonzo is there, Sifuna is there, Maraga is there, and even me, James Orengo, we will fulfil our mission," Orengo said.

Orengo briefly drew laughter from mourners when he made a slip of the tongue while rallying support for Kalonzo, mistakenly suggesting the opposition should send the Wiper leader home instead of the president.

"Tushikane tupeleke Kalonzo nyumbani," Orengo said, before correcting himself to use a popular nickname for Ruto: "Tutafaulu tupeleke Kasongo nyumbani 2027. Kasongo, samahani. Sorry, I'm sorry, my friend. I love you so much your name came into my mouth."

Eunice Nyangari Gachagua died on November 5, 2026, in Naro Moru, Nyeri County, at the age of 77. As the firstborn child, she served as a mother figure to the family following the death of their mother seven years ago.