MUTURI REJECTS GACHAGUA’S ‘HYENA COALITION’

Democratic Party (DP) leader Justin Muturi has criticised former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s approach to opposition politics, warning against allowing regional interests to overshadow efforts to build a broader national coalition ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Speaking in an interview with KTN News, the former Attorney General questioned Gachagua’s push for political parties from the Mt Kenya region to rally around a common regional arrangement, arguing that such an approach could undermine the wider opposition project.

“This kind of statement does not go well for people who are together, and that is why we called for mutual respect. I am unlikely to find myself sitting with hyenas. We cannot go from creating a national coalition to creating a village coalition,” Muturi said.

Muturi also cautioned opposition leaders against postponing crucial decisions on alliances and the choice of a presidential candidate until too close to the election.
“We run the risk of being unprepared, and we have seen this. If we wait until May, I can assure you I'm not even bothered to participate because we will have given him a victory on a silver platter,” he said.

The DP leader further gave his assessment of Gachagua’s public and private demeanour, suggesting that the former Deputy President conducts himself differently away from the cameras.
“He is a very, very humble man behind the camera. I think the cameras excite him... and then the crowds. I think the crowds excite him,” Muturi said.

Muturi’s position comes amid a broader disagreement with Gachagua over the future of smaller political parties, particularly those operating within the Mt Kenya region.

On August 4, Muturi joined Party of National Unity (PNU) leader Peter Munya and Devolution Empowerment Party (DEP) leader Lenny Kivuti in rejecting calls for their parties to dissolve and join Gachagua’s Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP).

During a joint media briefing, Munya said opposition parties could cooperate without giving up their individual identities.
“We call upon Honourable Gachagua to embrace structured dialogue, consultation and respectful engagement among all like-minded political parties,” Munya said.

He argued that political alliances could only survive when the parties involved were treated as equals and their independence respected.
“Durable political partnerships are built on equality, trust and respect for institutional autonomy,” he said.

Munya also questioned the contradiction of encouraging parties to strengthen their structures while simultaneously asking them to fold into another political outfit.
“It is worth noting that we cannot pretend to be growing our parties while simultaneously locking out others to own specific regions,” he said.

The PNU leader stressed that the opposition parties had no dispute with DCP itself but insisted that political choice should remain open to ordinary Kenyans.
“While we have no differences with our partners in DCP, it is necessary to make our communities feel comfortable, secure and free to make political choices,” Munya said.

He further warned against creating an environment where joining DCP is portrayed as acceptable while choosing another party is treated as disloyal.
“We must stop threatening those of diverse backgrounds and beliefs about our political standing to grow our democracy. It cannot be that one is praised for joining DCP but criticised for joining another party,” he said.

The disagreement followed Gachagua’s proposal for parties associated with the Mt Kenya one-term movement to come together under a common political umbrella.
The DCP leader proposed the name “Hyena Coalition”, linking it to remarks attributed to Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale that had sparked controversy after being interpreted by some as targeting the Kikuyu community.

Gachagua said the opposition should embrace the term and turn it into a political identity.
“All these Wantam parties from Mt Kenya should come together and form a coalition. Because Duale insulted us, we want to accept that name and call ourselves the HYENA Coalition,” Gachagua said.

He specifically called on Muturi to convene the region’s political parties.
“My brother Justin Muturi, convene all of us in Mt Kenya, we create the hyena coalition ya mafisi wote, ya kukula kasongo, na kumtafuna, na kummeza,” he said.

Gachagua also warned members of the one-term movement against turning their political differences against one another, saying internal fighting could work in President William Ruto’s favour.
“Fighting people within the one-term movement is not good energy. It is not going to help us. Focus on William Ruto and the people around him. Ignore other noises, do not get distracted,” he said.

Gachagua has since pushed back against the criticism, denying that he ordered political parties to dissolve and join DCP.

Instead, he argued that having multiple parties from Mt Kenya could strengthen the opposition by giving different political formations wider grassroots structures and more agents to protect votes during the election.

He maintained that Muturi and Munya had misunderstood his position and reiterated his call for the former Attorney General to convene a meeting bringing together opposition parties from Mt Kenya.

Gachagua said such an arrangement could allow the parties to negotiate with other regions from a stronger position while retaining their respective structures.

His renewed push for political consolidation follows DCP’s victory in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, which he has cited as evidence of the party’s growing influence in Mt Kenya.

Gachagua has also outlined an ambitious nationwide plan for DCP, saying the party intends to field candidates for various elective positions across all 47 counties.
He has set targets of at least 20 governors, 20 senators, 145 Members of Parliament and 720 Members of County Assembly.

The disagreement now places the opposition at a delicate point as its leaders attempt to balance party independence, regional political interests and the need for a united national strategy ahead of 2027.

While Gachagua continues to advocate for stronger coordination among Mt Kenya parties, Muturi is pushing for a broader national approach and has made it clear that he is unwilling to sacrifice individual party identities in the name of political unity.