Gachagua takes signature morning walks in Mbeere North as campaigns heat up

The battle for the Mbeere North parliamentary seat is shaping up to be a fierce political contest, with the leading camps deploying increasingly unconventional tactics to win over voters.

DCP Party Leader Rigathi Gachagua, who is backing DP’s Newton Karish, has now taken his trademark early-morning walks to the constituency, using the informal meet-and-greet strategy to rally support.

In videos shared online, Gachagua is seen striding through villages flanked by his handlers, pausing occasionally to greet residents already tending to their farms.

“Are you supporting Karish? Fully?” he asked one seemingly starstruck young man, who nodded quickly in agreement.

“I am here to ask for votes for Karish. Will you support him?” he posed to a woman standing behind a fence.

Rigathi Gachagua's door-to-door Campaign for Newton Karish.

Mbeere North pic.twitter.com/r77IS3oHjr

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“My family and I will vote for him. Even the residents here will,” she replied.

Gachagua’s charm offensive comes just days after Head of Special Projects Dennis Itumbi was captured distributing foodstuffs to households in Mbeere North as part of a vigorous ground campaign.

In the viral clip, Itumbi was seen handing out bunches of kales, tea leaves and tomatoes while drumming up support for UDA candidate Leo wa Muthende.

The move sparked sharp reactions on X.

Critics accused him of pandering to handout-style politics, a stark contrast to the Bottom-Up Economic Agenda that the administration has frequently touted.

Now, with Gachagua intensifying his grassroots push, analysts say his strategy will serve as a critical test for the United Opposition in its bid to counter President William Ruto’s government.

The Mbeere North seat fell vacant after former MP Geoffrey Ruku was appointed Public Service Cabinet Secretary in April 2025.

The position has remained unfilled pending the appointment of new IEBC commissioners to facilitate a mini-poll.

Political observers also view the by-election as a key barometer of the administration’s standing in the Mt Kenya region, where support is believed to have waned since Gachagua’s impeachment.