The political marriage between former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and his fiery loyalist, Juja MP George Koimburi, has ended in a bitter, public divorce. In a dramatic twist that exposes the crumbling unity of the mountain opposition, Koimburi has defected to President William Ruto’s camp, prompting Gachagua’s DCP party to brand him a "government spy" and a fraudster.

The fallout was triggered by Koimburi’s sudden pivot to the government side, citing "development" for Juja. However, the backstory is far more sinister. Gachagua’s allies are now revisiting the MP’s mysterious "abduction" in May 2025—an event they previously championed as state persecution—claiming it was a staged event meant to garner sympathy and cover up land fraud charges.

"A Classical Con Game"

In a scathing statement, DCP Secretary General Hezron Obaga accused Koimburi of being a mole planted to destabilize the opposition. "We have realized that the so-called abduction was a classical con game," Obaga said. "He played us. He played the former DP. He faked his own disappearance to evade arrest for forging certificates and land fraud, and now he has gone back to his handlers in government for protection."

Koimburi, firing back, claimed he was pushed out by "internal betrayal" and the entry of his arch-rival Aloise Kinyanjui into Gachagua’s inner circle. "I cannot be in a party where I am being undermined by the very people I fought for," he told supporters in Juja.

The Unraveling of the Center

• The Defection Wave: Koimburi is not alone. A growing list of Mt. Kenya MPs, including Gathoni Wamuchomba and Mary Wamaua, are distancing themselves from the former DP, sensing a shifting tide ahead of 2027.
• Credibility Crisis: The resurfacing of the abduction video, where Gachagua claimed Koimburi was "poisoned" and "tortured," now serves as a humiliating reminder of how political narratives can be weaponized—and how quickly they can collapse.

For Rigathi Gachagua, the loss of Koimburi is more than just one vote; it is a symbolic blow to his claim of being the region's besieged kingpin. The mountain is shifting, and the ground is becoming slippery for the self-declared "villager."