Democratic Party leader Justin Muturi/FILEDemocratic Party leader Justin Muturi has explained what he claims is the reason President William Ruto chose Rigathi Gachagua as his running mate ahead of the 2022 general elections.
According to Muturi, the decision was driven by political strategy and regional considerations.
Muturi claims that the decision was discussed the night before the running mate was officially announced.
He alleges that Ruto called him from Mombasa and asked him to meet in Karen, where they spoke about the choice of deputy presidential candidate.
According to Muturi, Ruto told him that leaders within the United Democratic Alliance had agreed that the running mate should come from the party and specifically from the Mt Kenya region.
Muturi alleges that, at the time, the majority had initially leaned toward Kithure Kindiki, but Ruto reportedly felt Kindiki lacked the political reach necessary to secure votes in the region.
He claims that Ruto warned that selecting Kindiki could have been politically costly.
“Choosing Kindiki would have been political suicide. It would have risked votes in a region critical to our electoral success,” Muturi alleges.
In contrast, Muturi claims Ruto saw Gachagua as having a strong political base and the ability to mobilise support across Mt Kenya counties.
Muturi says he agreed with the assessment, believing that Gachagua’s selection was a logical choice given the electoral circumstances.
He further claims that the move was intended to balance party loyalty, regional representation, and voter mobilisation in a key voting bloc.
According to Muturi, Gachagua delivered the anticipated support from the Mt Kenya region, reinforcing the strategic calculation behind Ruto’s decision.
Muturi also claims that Ruto remained confident in his choice, even as internal deliberations continued within UDA in the days leading up to the announcement.
He alleges that earlier promises made to other political figures could not be fulfilled due to party alignment requirements, a factor that influenced the final decision.
Since succeeding Gachagua following his impeachment, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has toured the country to highlight government development projects, an effort that UDA allies say has helped him position himself ahead of the 2027 elections.
Supporters also pointed to UDA’s victory in the hotly contested Mbeere North parliamentary by-election, where Leo Wamuthende won the seat with a total of 15,802 votes, as evidence of Kindiki’s growing influence in the Mt. Kenya region
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