Leaders from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) have reaffirmed the party's dominance at the coast after beating former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's DCP party in the Thursday by-elections in Magarini.
The leaders said this during the thanksgiving rally of the newly elected Magarini ODM Member of Parliament Harrison Garama Kombe, held at the constituency on November 28, 2025.
Led by Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung'aro and Mombasa Governor Abdullswamad Sherrif Nassir, the leaders from the ODM party slammed Gachagua for attempting to shake the party's dominance in the Coast region through the Magarini by-elections.
"He claims that he is listening to the ground, but when he came to Kilifi, his ears were sick; he could not listen to the ground," Governor Mung'aro said.
The Kilifi governor, who also serves as the Kilifi County ODM Chairperson, also responded to the bribery allegations that Rigathi Gachagua made against him before the elections.
"He made claims that I have met some people, but let me tell that DCP person, Rigathi Gachagua, the same razor that we have used on Kombe shall be the same one in 2027," Mung'aro affirmed.
The governor insisted that Rigathi Gachagua has no influence on Coast politics, claiming that he is the one to decide the fate of Kilifi politics as his Mombasa counterpart Abdullswamad Sherrif Nassir controls Mombasa politics.
Governor Abdullswamad also criticized Rigathi Gachagua's influence at the coast. The governor pitied the DCP's perfomance in the Magarini by-elections.
The ODM party won with a margin in the Magarini by-elections by getting 17,909 votes against DCP's Stanley Kombe, who got 8,907 votes.
ODM also won by-elections in Kasipul and Unguja constituencies.
