Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has dismissed President William Ruto’s leadership deal with ODM leader Raila Odinga, arguing that the agreement will not translate into any significant electoral gains for Ruto in the next general election.
Speaking in an interview with Kameme FM on Monday, March 17, 2025, Gachagua asserted that Raila has lost political influence across the country and no longer commands the support he once had.
He suggested that Ruto’s alliance with the former prime minister was an exercise in futility, as Raila’s traditional voter base had already abandoned him.
“Kenya infaa kujipoanga. Macadamia farmers are crying; nilikuwa niwasaidie lakini Ruto akabadilisha mambo. Mashida yako kwa wingi, usithani kuna kitu Raila anaweza muongeza. Watu wamemkataa kila mahali—Wakamba, kila mahali. Watu wa president pekee hawatoshi kumpa kiti. Amebaki na kura zake pekee,” Gachagua stated.
He maintained that Ruto’s core support base was not large enough to secure victory on its own and that Raila’s inclusion would not bring any meaningful change to his chances.
According to him, Ruto’s dwindling influence in regions like Ukambani and Mt Kenya and his failure to consolidate other voting blocs meant that he no longer had the numbers to be a political kingmaker.
Gachagua further downplayed any concerns that Mount Kenya leaders should be worried about their political future, insisting that the region would remain a crucial player in the next election.
“Sisi hatuna wasiwasi. Wasiwasi wetu pekee ni election iko mbali na mambo mengi inatokea hapo katikati,” he added.
The former deputy president also dismissed Raila’s recent claims about security agencies, accusing him of making excuses for his decision to align with Ruto after years of opposing him.
“Hata hizo maneno Raila alikuwa anaongea ya jeshi ni uongo. Alikuwa tu anajaribu kujidefend mbona alienda kwa William Ruto,” Gachagua said.
Not tribal
In the same interview, Gachagua also hit back at accusations that he is a tribal politician, questioning the basis on which such claims were being made against him. He argued that those accusing him of tribalism were the same people who controlled state appointments and dismissals, making it hypocritical for them to level such allegations against him.
Gachagua insisted that his political arrangement with Ruto in 2022 was a straightforward deal based on mutual benefit rather than tribal loyalty.
“We had an agreement, and there was no tribalism in having had an agreement that we were giving him votes so he could give us seats. No one in Raila’s case said it was tribal,” he stated.
He further accused Ruto of betraying Mount Kenya by gradually sidelining its leaders from key government positions, citing examples of how influential posts had been taken away from his allies and handed to individuals from other regions.
“The Budget and Appropriations Committee was taken away from Ndindi Nyoro and given to Sam Atandi. This seat was in Mount Kenya, and he should have looked for someone else in Mount Kenya, but he took it elsewhere,” Gachagua lamented.
He admitted that he had miscalculated leading Mount Kenya into the 2022 election without a political party of their own, likening their position in government to attending a wedding with someone else’s invitation card.
“It would have been better if we had a party as a tribe. And we made a mistake trusting him, thinking he would not betray us,” he said.
Gachagua insisted that Ruto strategically ensured that his allies retained more influential roles while gradually pushing Mount Kenya leaders out of key positions. He cited the removal of Githii Mburu from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) as an example of this systematic purge.
“The KRA seat had Mburur, and he fired him and gave it to someone else. And now our people have seen a lot of trouble,” he noted.
According to Gachagua, his resistance to these changes led to his fallout with Ruto, who allegedly started plotting his removal by rallying cabinet secretaries against him.
“The trouble for me started after I started faulting him for sidelining Mount Kenya people. That was when he started planning my impeachment. I called my cabinet and told them, but he called them and lied to them to rally against me,” he alleged.
He expressed disappointment that no other Mount Kenya leaders had spoken out against the dismissals, accusing them of remaining silent as the region continued to lose influence within government.
“Now he is not shy of firing Mount Kenya people. I never used to allow him to do that,” he declared.
