DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua. DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua has thrown a spanner in the works for the opposition, pushing back against claims that his role is merely to mobilise against President William Ruto.
Gachagua scoffed at those advancing what he termed as “ridiculous proposition” that his role is to simply remove Ruto and give leadership to the others.
The propaganda, Gachagua said, is also being peddled by supporters of his co-principals in the opposition.
“Is Riggy G running for President? The answer is yes,” Gachagua declared at the close of his 55-day conclave at Wamunyoro on Monday.
“There are many people, including supporters of my colleagues in the united opposition, I have seen them on social media and on public platforms, advancing a ridiculous proposition that Riggy G’s work is to remove William Ruto and give leadership to others. Eti that’s my only job.”
The declaration comes days after the former Deputy President claimed that some of his colleagues in the opposition were lazy and are not going out to mobilise for votes.
Gachagua has overtime become the fulcrum of the team and his latest declaration could jolt opposition bigwigs.
Interestingly, Gachagua has often been seen as kingmaker following his unceremonious impeachment and allegations that were levelled against him.
“Riggy G is not Kingmaker, Riggy G is king,” Gachagua declared.
Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and Jubilee’s Fred Matiang’i have always been seen as the opposition presidential frontrunners.
If Gachagua runs for the Presidency in 2027, it would mirror the scenario in 2012 when former President Uhuru Kenyatta abandoned plans to contest for the country’s top job after he had backed Musalia Mudavadi.
Coming to the table with the biggest vote block, Gachagua’s insistence on contesting could easily fracture the opposition.
He has however often emphasised that he will rally behind whoever would be chosen.
Embakasi Central MP Benjamin Gathiru, a close Gachagua ally, said the answer to the opposition’s presidential question rests in the numbers Gachagua commands.
“The person with the numbers, naturally, has say. That is why we insist that the second Deputy President has to run. He has the numbers, and the machinery to deliver the win,” he said.
During Gachagua’s recent tour of the United Kingdom, Nyandarua Senator John Methu made a similar argument.
He portrayed Gachagua as the driving force behind the opposition’s challenge to Ruto.
“His Excellency has a very good vision but we have been told he was impeached so cannot run. It is something that has been peddled by people who know that the only one who can send Ruto home is Rigathi Gachagua,” Methu said.
“I don’t want to badmouth the ones we are with, but he is the engine of the opposition. If he is the engine that drives the opposition, he is the one who can drive Kenya forward.”
Gachagua’s team, led by Methu, has on many occasions advanced the proverb of ‘it is small rivers that join the big river’.
On Monday, Gachagua rubbished claims that his impeachment bars him from contesting for public office.
“I am not mobilising Kenyans to remove William Ruto because of bitterness, vengeance. It is my desire and I am a patriot.”
“I have nothing personal against Ruto. I have everything against what he stands for and what he does. I want good leadership and I am offering myself for that position of president. Let nobody tell you that because I was removed from office I cannot run,” he said.
Gachagua has been continuously been presenting himself as the candidate with the numbers.
“I stay in the mountain because I am a smart politician. Now I can go to Western and say I have consolidated my region so we can partner,” he said.
He claimed to have made inroads into the Maa region and Nairobi and said his next target was Kipsigis and Western Kenya.
“I am happy with what is happening in Western Kenya, and in Nyanza. Once Western and Nyanza is done, this is game short.”
Makueni Senator Daniel Maanzo, a top ally of Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, said nothing stops Gachagua from running but warned that he understood the consequences of such a decision.
“He knows the results when he runs. We will know what to do when it comes to that. The insistence doesn’t make our work difficult,” Maanzo said.
Maanzo, however, warned that the wishes of voters would ultimately determine the opposition candidate.
“If you don’t do what the people want, you risk remaining alone. The people will have only one candidate,” he said.
“We appreciate he has mobilised and has put some work in our team but none of the candidates can survive on their own.”
Analysts citing opinion poll data have argued that the opposition’s strongest route could involve a ticket pairing Kalonzo and Sifuna.
An insider intimated to the Star that the team’s internal polls had favoured a Sifuna-Kalonzo pair, with either as running mate.
It is understood that the studies showed that any other option would flop and give Ruto an easy run in the vote.
A recent TIFA poll also showed 62 per cent of respondents saying Gachagua should support another candidate.
At least 14 per cent of those polled wanted him to lead the ticket.
The poll also showed President Ruto remained the single most preferred presidential candidate with 24 per cent support.
Opposition backing was split among Sifuna at 15 per cent, Matiang'i at 14 per cent, Kalonzo at 13 per cent and Gachagua at seven per cent.
TIFA argued that the fragmented landscape continued to work in the President’s favour.
The pollster argued that Ruto’s relatively low overall support meant the opposition still had room to build a winning coalition.
Political analyst Oscar Omondi said the problem was that the leading opposition figures were unwilling to sacrifice their presidential ambitions.
“The opposition is yet to settle on a candidate because no one wants to be kingmaker,” Omondi said.
He said the opposition luminaries, particularly the frontrunners, needed to take steps similar to Raila Odinga’s Kibaki Tosha moment.
“When there is a queue, one must go first. But if they all go, it becomes a crowd. It will call for a Kibaki Tosha moment. Even Kalonzo can be kingmaker. Someone must swallow their pride,” Omondi said.
Gachagua’s latest positioning suggests that he is not yet ready to take that step.
His argument is that the opposition needs a candidate with a solid backing in their backyard, and campaign machinery.
