February 01, 2025
Since impeachment day, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has become President William Ruto’s most formidable political nightmare. He is relentlessly attacking the government he once served, employing a scorched-earth strategy—leaving destruction in his wake. Today, Gachagua is not just a critic; he is effectively the face of the opposition in Kenya. More importantly, he is giving Ruto sleepless nights. Gachagua has turned his Wamunyoro home into a command center.
This situation raises several critical questions:
- Didn't President Ruto foresee this unfolding?
- Was Ruto unaware that sidelining Gachagua would backfire?
- Did Ruto underestimate Gachagua's political resilience?
- Did Ruto make a strategic miscalculation in impeaching his deputy?
- Was Ruto's judgment flawed when he assumed he could control Gachagua?
Well, today, I will attempt to answer these questions and give you a clearer understanding of how we got here.
Understanding Gachagua’s Resistance
Let me start with a fundamental truth:
Rigathi Gachagua was never an easy deputy. He was not the kind of politician who could be easily manipulated or sidelined like a mere pawn. Any president working with Gachagua would have had challenges—Gachagua is fiercely loyal to his political base. In simple words, he listens to the ground. President Ruto wants a deputy he can push around like a wheelbarrow; a yes person.
From the outset, Gachagua prioritized his people, the Mt. Kenya region. He quickly realized that President Ruto was not keen on fulfilling the promises made to the region during the 2022 campaigns. By 2023, he saw the red flags —Ruto was slowly abandoning the very electorate that had secured his presidency. Gachagua, unwilling to stay silent, spoke out publicly, even at the risk of being labeled a tribalist.
The Impeachment: A Strategic Miscalculation?
Was impeaching Gachagua easy? Absolutely. Ruto had the numbers in both houses of Parliament, and he knew he could push it through. However, this decision came at a political cost.
Anyone elected from Mt. Kenya with political foresight understood the risks of going against Gachagua. Those who actively participated in his impeachment may have signed their political death warrants—they will likely struggle to win re-election in 2027.
But here’s the critical question: Did Ruto initially plan to impeach Gachagua?
The answer is no. Initially, Ruto’s strategy was to intimidate Gachagua into resigning. He underestimated Gachagua’s resilience, assuming that mounting political pressure, coupled with isolation, would force him out. When that failed, Ruto escalated matters, deploying his political machinery—including opposition figures aligned with Raila Odinga—to orchestrate Gachagua’s downfall.
Up until the final moment, every political analyst and insider believed Gachagua would cave under pressure and resign. But he didn’t. He stood firm.
Gachagua’s Role in 2022: A Forgotten Truth
There’s been some revisionist history in Ruto’s camp, with claims that the president never needed Gachagua to win Mt. Kenya. This is pure nonsense!
In 2022, Ruto was well aware that if he picked Prof. Kithure Kindiki as his running mate, he would have lost the election to Raila Odinga and Martha Karua, early in the morning. Despite pushback from his UDA/TangaTanga MPs, Ruto deliberately chose Gachagua over the more favored Kindiki. WHY?
BECAUSE Gachagua was the ground soldier Ruto needed to counter the combined influence of President Uhuru Kenyatta, Raila Odinga, and Martha Karua in the Mt. Kenya region. Without him, Ruto’s chances of securing the region’s overwhelming support would have been very slim.
Post-Impeachment: Gachagua’s Revenge
Now at his Wamunyoro home, with impeachment behind him, Gachagua is out for warm blood. He is actively disrupting Ruto’s 2027 re-election strategy, positioning himself as a kingmaker. His influence is undeniable—he holds the power to tilt the scales in favor of opposition leaders like Kalonzo Musyoka or even Fred Matiang’i.
Could Gachagua make Kalonzo or Matiang’i the 6th President of Kenya in 2027?
It’s entirely possible. His ability to mobilize Mt. Kenya against Ruto could spell disaster for the president’s second-term ambitions. Gachagua has promised to make Ruto a One Term President!
One thing is very clear, President Ruto underestimated DP Gachagua. And now, he is paying the price. One Term is real.
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