Rigathi Gachagua’s infamous State House traps to protect President William Ruto from access by Raila Odinga have come back to haunt him, with the former Prime Minister now ruling out the possibility of working with the ousted Deputy President.
Recently, Gachagua extended an olive branch to Raila, urging him to join forces with the Opposition Coalition to unseat President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election. However, Raila dismissed the proposal, making it clear that he could never align with someone who once actively sought to bring him down.
While addressing supporters during his consultative tour of Wajir County, Odinga mocked Gachagua over his past political maneuvers.
“Yule jamaa mwingine alikuwa akisema ati ameweka mitego. Si alikuwa ameweka mitego kila mahali na hakuna pahali pa kupita,” he quipped, ridiculing Gachagua’s so-called traps.
(That other guy was saying he had set traps. Didn’t he claim to have placed traps everywhere, leaving no way through?)
He further questioned why he would consider working with someone who had previously ruled out any political handshake.
“Akasema hakuna mambo ya handshake na nusu mkate. Mnataka tuende kwa jamaa mwenye mitego?” he asked the crowd.
(He said there would be no handshake or power-sharing. Do you want us to go to the man who sets traps?)
“I told him that is impossible!”Raila added, drawing a thunderous support from the audience.
Raila pointed out that despite Gachagua’s past attacks, the former Deputy President now finds himself isolated from the very government he once staunchly defended and is struggling to remain politically relevant.
“Mliona kule kwa State House wakati ambayo Ruto ameleta maraisi, Museveni yuko pale. Suluhu yuko hapo, Salva Kiir iko pale… watu wote walifika State House. Mimi nilialikwa pale niende niongee na wao. Na ule ambaye anaambiwa atoe salamu mwisho ilikua ni ule ambaye mwenye mtego. Alikua amesema ameweka mtego ati Baba hawezi kuingia huko, si Baba aliingia,” Raila said.
(You saw at State House when Ruto hosted presidents—Museveni was there, Suluhu was there, Salva Kiir was there… all the leaders were present. I was invited to go and speak with them. And the one who was supposed to give closing remarks was the same person who set the trap. He had said he had set a trap so that Baba couldn’t enter. But didn’t Baba enter?)
Odinga’s visit to Wajir is part of a broader tour aimed at engaging the public and gathering opinions on his party’s political strategy ahead of the 2027 elections.
During his speech, he also called for the implementation of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report and the reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). He argued that these reforms are critical in preventing a repeat of the issues witnessed during the 2022 General Election.
“The NADCO report should be implemented… so that we can have a conversation about critical issues,” Odinga emphasized, underscoring the need for a credible electoral body to ensure free and fair elections.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Raila arrived in Kisii County to consult with ODM party delegates from Nyamira and Kisii counties. The discussions focused on his future political direction following his unsuccessful bid for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson position.
