NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 26 – A section of ODM-aligned MPs from Nyanza has rejected former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s attempts to court political support in the region, accusing him of seeking to rewrite his political history and present himself as an ally of a community he previously criticised.Led by Seme MP James Nyikal, the lawmakers said Nyanza would not be treated as a political trophy or a bloc of votes to be captured ahead of the 2027 General Election.Addressing journalists at Parliament Buildings on Wednesday, the MPs said Gachagua was free to seek support across the country but warned that Nyanza would make its own political decisions based on its interests, leadership and democratic convictions.“While Mr Gachagua is entitled to pursue his political ambitions and seek support in every part of Kenya, he must understand that Nyanza is neither politically naïve nor afflicted by collective amnesia,” the MPs said in a joint statement.They questioned what they described as a sudden change in Gachagua’s attitude towards Nyanza, recalling remarks they said had previously portrayed the region and its leadership as hostile to the Government.The MPs said Mr Gachagua had for years built his political identity around rhetoric portraying Nyanza as confrontational, including references to stereotypes describing its people as “stone throwers”.“Today, he suddenly claims a different story of special relationship with our people. We therefore ask: Which Gachagua should Nyanza believe? And why?” they posed.The lawmakers challenged the former Deputy President to explain what had changed in his political philosophy, when the change occurred and why Nyanza residents should now trust him.They said political conversion was possible but insisted it should be accompanied by accountability.The MPs also dismissed Gachagua’s reported prediction that President William Ruto would secure only about 30 per cent of the Nyanza vote in the next election.“Nyanza does not take voting instructions from Rigathi Gachagua,” they said, maintaining that residents would determine their political choices when the time comes.The lawmakers further cautioned Gachagua against assuming that his personal relationships with a few Nyanza leaders amounted to political ownership of the region.“Nyanza has its own leaders, institutions, history and political agency,” they said.The MPs also rejected what they termed an attempt to appropriate the political legacy of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, arguing that his relationship with Nyanza and the wider country was forged through decades of political struggle and sacrifice.“Raila’s relationship with the people of Nyanza and the whole Kenyan nation was forged through decades of sacrifice, struggle and commitment to democracy, justice and national reform,” the MPs said.They added that the legacy could not be inherited through political companionship or claimed by an individual.Gem MP Elisha Odhiambo said Nyanza had historically played a significant role in shaping the country’s political direction and would continue to influence national politics.“I take great exception to the utterances of the Honourable Gachagua. I want to remind him that Nyanza remains a pillar in the politics of this country,” Odhiambo said.He cited historical instances in which Nyanza leaders had influenced presidential politics, including former Vice-President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’s support for Kenya’s first president, Jomo Kenyatta, and Raila Odinga’s endorsement of former President Mwai Kibaki in the 2002 election under the “Kibaki Tosha” campaign.Odhiambo said Nyanza would continue to make its own political calculations rather than follow directions from individual politicians.He also took issue with Gachagua’s political record, saying the former Deputy President should focus on explaining his agenda to regions where he has stronger political support.“If he has anything to offer, I ask him to offer it in Nyeri. If he has anything to offer for the country, because you cannot be talking every day, disparaging each community,” Odhiambo said.He cautioned political leaders against remarks that could deepen ethnic divisions.Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang’ adopted a more combative tone, warning Gachagua against what he described as political provocation of the Nyanza community.“The point that we are making is that we don’t want provocation. We don’t want provocation, and we react very poorly to provocation,” Kajwang’ said.The MP recalled the political tensions surrounding the 2023 anti-government demonstrations and accused the then Deputy President of being responsible for the security response against protesters.“We have not forgotten the day you shot at us when Ruto left this country for you in 2023,” Kajwang’ said, referring to the security response during the protests.He alleged that the events surrounding the demonstrations could not simply be dismissed as “mambo ya siasa”, insisting that residents of Nyanza had not forgotten them.Kajwang’, however, said Gachagua was welcome to visit Nyanza, including the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Mausoleum, but challenged him to explain remarks he allegedly made about the region around the time of Raila Odinga’s burial.“Come to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Mausoleum. We have opened the doors. You come and mourn, but tell us also why you spoke those bad epithets when we were burying Raila Amollo Odinga,” he said.He cautioned political leaders against rhetoric that could provoke violence while maintaining that Nyanza residents would respond if they felt provoked.“We don’t want to have populations being incited to violence, but you can incite us to violence by provoking us,” he said.Kajwang’ also challenged the suggestion that political loyalty in Nairobi and other parts of the country could be determined along ethnic lines.He pointed to residents of Ruaraka, including members of the Kikuyu community, as evidence that political support was not dictated by ethnicity.“Let him know that we are people of cool minds, but we can react very badly when provoked,” he said.The MPs said the issues Nyanza wanted addressed were not about ethnic arithmetic or political supremacy but development.They listed jobs for young people, investment and industrialisation, roads, energy and infrastructure, modern agriculture, revival of the fishing economy, better healthcare and education, and economic empowerment among the region’s priorities.They challenged Gachagua to account for his record towards Nyanza when he served as Deputy President before seeking its political support.“What did he do for Nyanza when he occupied the second-highest office in the Republic and did not need its votes?” they posed.The MPs said Nyanza would listen to all political players but would ultimately make its own political decision.“Nyanza will listen to everyone. But Nyanza will decide for itself,” they said.The statement was backed by MPs including Suna West’s Peter Masara, Kibra’s Peter Orero, Kisumu Central’s Joshua Oron, Nyakach’s Aduma Owuor and Mathare’s Tom Oluoch.