Eyes on Gachagua allies as he triggers UDA exit

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. /FILE

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua appears to have triggered what may shape up to be mass exit of his allies from the ruling UDA following his acrimonious fallout with party leader President William Ruto.

The outspoken former DP quit the party on Monday, cementing his divorce with his one-time political soulmate, a decision he said followed the realisation that he no longer shares the same ideals with the ruling party.

"By a copy of this letter, you are notified that I have officially resigned from the UDA Party with immediate effect,” Gachagua said in a letter addressed to UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar.

Omar almost immediately issued a blistering rebuttal, saying the purported resignation was "belated" and a “futile attempt to rewrite the facts, as the party had long relieved him of his duties following his October 17, 2024, impeachment.

“Though inconsequential, your public resignation from UDA is a welcome…kwaheri,” Omar said.

Gachagua said he decided to ditch UDA as a belief “in the rule of law…and sanctity of the constitution” after realising that UDA had failed to uphold the ideals he initially believed in.

On Wednesday, former Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi appeared to be reading from the same script as Gachagua, going by the wording of his resignation from the ruling outfit.

Linturi stated that he too had realised that UDA had failed to “live to its philosophy, mandate, mission, values and objectives”.

“Such a party has no moral authority to bear the name a political party. This is a party akin to the Biblical Tower of Babel. I do not wish, nor would I ever wish, that any Kenyan would belong to a Party that is repugnant of its philosophy,” he said.

“It is in this realisation that I Hon Mithika Linturi, a patriotic Kenyan, tender my resignation as a member of the United Democratic Alliance- UDA with immediate effect,” he wrote to Omar.

Linturi, a prominent figure in a uniting opposition that is keen on unseating Ruto at the 2027 general elections, ditched UDA just in the nick of time ahead of Gachagua’s long-awaited unveiling of his political party Thursday morning.

Gachagua has settled on the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) as his new political vehicle, marking a significant step in his battle against his former boss and bosom political ally.

The ex-DP is set to unveil the new party at the DCP headquarters along Musa Gitau Road, Lavington, on Thursday, May 15, at 9 am.

Until now, Gachagua had kept both political allies and opponents guessing about which political vehicle he would use in the 2027 elections, even as he openly expressed willingness to form a coalition with other opposition leaders keen on unseating Ruto.

But with the cat now out of the bag, focus now shifts to his allies who are still holed up in UDA as the battle line between the former DP and the ruling party increasingly becomes clearer.

Gachagua is counting on popularising his DCP to the likes of Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Martha Karua (PLP), Eugene Wamalwa (DAP-Kenya), and former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i, but he will need trusted allies on his side to bolster his bargaining power in the likely event that the leaders settle on forming a coalition party.

Among them is Kiambu Senator Karungo Thang’wa, a fierce UDA critic, whose resignation from the ruling outfit will not come as a surprise to many should he decide to prove his allegiance to Gachagua and ditch the Ruto party.

Another prominent Gachagua ally is Embakasi North MP James Gakuya, whose disdain for the UDA administration is an open secret.

Focus will also be on Benjamin Gathiru ‘Mejjadonk’, the Embakasi Central MP.

MejjaDonk has maintained a close political alliance with the former Deputy President, which particularly pronounced as the self-proclaimed ‘Son of Mau Mau’ charted the unfamiliar murky waters of impeachment.

In mid-2024, MejjaDonk and Gakuya were accused of organising and financing the Gen Z-led anti-government protests, which were largely perceived by the state as being supportive of Gachagua as he faced immense political pressure at the time.

The two contested the allegations in court, asserting that the charges were politically motivated due to their association with Gachagua, and obtained court orders preventing their arrest and prosecution.

Kirinyaga Women Representative Jane Njeri Maina and Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba are another clique of Gachagua allies whose political moves will be under the keen eye of political observers, especially after the launch of DCP.

Njeri and Wamuchomba have been fierce defenders of the former DP in different public fora where they have demonstrated their loyalty.

Njeri has consistently defended Gachagua against his political adversaries and internal dissent within the Kenya Kwanza coalition, including raisin concerns over the Senate's handling of public participation regarding Gachagua's impeachment motion.

In October 2024, she was summoned by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) over allegations of mobilising individuals to disrupt public participation sessions on the ouster motion.

Njeri dismissed the summons as intimidation tactics aimed at silencing supporters of the former DP.

Wamuchomba, on the other hand criticised the impeachment motion against Gachagua, labeling it a diversion from pressing national issues such as the abortive controversial Adani takeover of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) transition.

She argued that the government was using Gachagua as a scapegoat to distract the public from its shortcomings, further revealing that the plot to dismiss him as the second in command was mooted during the selection of the running mate for the 2022 elections.

Wamuchomba has consistently urged leaders from the Mt Kenya region to unite behind Gachagua and in August 2024, stated, "Let them call you a villager but we will support you."

With the formation of the new party, one would easily expect the outspoken Githunguri lawmaker to wrap up engagements with UDA and troop to Musa Gitau Road in Lavington and mark her territory in DCP.