DCP Leader Rigathi Gachagua has reinforced his campaign vehicles as the race to challenge President William Ruto in 2027 intensifies.
Exclusive photos seen by TNX Africa show Gachagua’s fleet now equipped with rugged, riot-ready modifications.
The campaign cars feature heavy-duty steel mesh screens covering the windscreens, a direct response to recent stone-throwing incidents and teargas attacks that have marred his “truth-telling” tours in Central Kenya.
A black J150 Land Cruiser Prado, commonly known as ‘TX,’ appears in one of the images clad in protective material. It is flanked by an older J120 Prado featuring the same modifications.
Beyond the grilles, the SUVs have been fitted with high-intensity LED light bars and reinforced roof racks, signalling a shift toward a high-stakes, battle-hardened campaign style.
During the burial of the mother of veteran politician Jamleck Kamau, Trade CS Lee Kinyanjui noted the reinforcements, describing the country as an active political battleground.
“If there is anyone we do not agree with, there is no need for violence. I have noticed that the public address vehicles here have protective steel screens, as if they are meant for war,” he said, urging politicians to make the political space more accommodating, warning that the nation’s sovereignty could be at risk.
“We have turned our constituencies into battlegrounds. Those chanting for one term have a right to do so. But we all need to remember that whether we agree or not, we have a country to protect,” Kinyanjui added.
The latest modifications follow a string of attacks at his rallies, which have frequently ended in teargas, violence, or tense standoffs.
Perhaps the most notable incident occurred on January 25 at the Anglican Witima Church in Othaya, Nyeri County, when individuals Gachagua described as “rogue police officers and goons” raided the service with teargas, stones, and live bullets.
Worshippers fled, and Gachagua was evacuated through nearby bushes.
Gachagua’s United Opposition tours have also faced repeated blockades.
On February 9, his motorcade was stopped at the Karati River border between Nyandarua and Nakuru by masked police, preventing him from attending a rally at Kinamba Trading Centre.
He accused IG Douglas Kanja of ceding police control to local political “brokers.”
Similar clashes occurred in late 2025 and January 2026 in Gatundu South and Kariobangi North, where rival youth groups armed with batons disrupted events, causing injuries and prompting teargas deployment.
