Speaking to a delegation from Nakuru County at his Mathira home in Nyeri, Gachagua borrowed the term from alleged ethnic remarks made by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale targeting the Kikuyu community.
“I would urge all of those one-term supporters from Mt.Kenya to form a coalition for one-term parties. Na kwa sababu tumetukanwa na Duale, nataka tukubali hio jina. Tunataka tuiite the Hyena coalition,” he said.
“My brother JB (Justin Muturi), convene all of us in Mt.Kenya, we create the hyena coalition ya mafisi wote, ya kukula kasongo, na kumtafuna, na kummeza.”
Gachagua added that Mt Kenya residents supporting President Ruto’s defeat in the 2027 polls should remain united, warning that they can easily be manipulated if they go after each other.
“Fighting people within the one-term movement is not good energy. It is not going to help us. Focus on William Ruto and the people around him. Ignore other noises, do not get distracted,” he added.
“We will not fight our brothers and sisters even if we are provoked and that is what Ruto would want. He can use some of us to start internal wars so that we lose focus on him. We must be very intelligent and strategic.”
Gachagua has maintained a stiff anti-Ruto campaign in the lead-up to next year’s election, vowing not to relent in his fight against the President until he leaves office.
Meanwhile, CS Duale insists his statement, made in Mandera County on July 20, was deliberately misrepresented.
“I have been widely misquoted and my remarks delivered in Lafey Constituency have been taken out of context to advance false and misleading narratives,” the Cabinet Secretary said in a statement posted on his X account.
Duale explained that the phrase “Waraabe la-tagis bartay, ka-ridis waa ku dhib,” which was widely translated as a reference to a hyena, was a well-known Somali proverb and not an attack on any community.
“It is a figurative expression about the difficulty of ending entrenched habits or long-enjoyed advantages. It was never directed at any community or intended to demean anyone,” he said.
The remarks triggered a political storm, drawing condemnation from leaders across the political divide, demanding an apology from the CS.
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) launched investigations into the matter.
