DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua as he departed for the US from JKIA on August 26, 2026This has reignited speculation over whether their bitter political divorce could yet give way to a fresh deal.
Former CS and presidential adviser Moses Kuria has repeatedly claimed that the two are likely to meet in the US.
“On Sunday, 9th August 2026, I pre-warned Jeff Koinange and the world the real reason and timing of Rigathi Gachagua's trip to the USA,” Kuria said on X.
“Today, he confirmed that there are things he will do there away from interference by his gullible cult followers like [Mukurwe-ini MP John] Kaguchia and [Nyandarua Senator John] Methu. Need I say more?”
Announcing his US trip on Sunday, Gachagua said he needed solitude to make key political decisions without undue influence from his close allies. Ruto is expected in New York for the UN General Assembly on September 8.
Adding to the speculation is Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, who claimed on Wednesday that Gachagua was seeking talks with the President.
“I want to assure you, even as you see Wamunyoro [Gachagua] going to the US, we have information that he has been trying to talk with the President,” Cherargei said.
“But the President, speaking to one of the stations, made it clear that he can work with any other politician but Gachagua.”
He added that Gachagua was consolidating the mountain to have leverage in discussions with Ruto in 2028.
“I can tell you that once we win Ruto’s re-election, Rigathi will negotiate based on his numbers in Parliament, governors and MCAs, and say, this is what I want. That’s why he is going to the US,” the senator said.
The coincidence comes at a politically sensitive moment for both, with Ruto seeking to consolidate his re-election campaign and Gachagua positioning himself as one of the leading opposition contenders for the 2027 presidency.
While Gachagua flew out on Wednesday night for an extended American tour, Ruto is expected there for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, which opens on September 8.
There is, however, no evidence that a meeting has been scheduled between the two.
But the timing has inevitably raised eyebrows, particularly because Kuria had weeks earlier suggested the two could find themselves in US at the same time and possibly use the opportunity to reopen communication.
On August 9, Kuria said Gachagua was preparing for a US trip in September and that Ruto would also be in the country, adding: “I don't know what I'm saying, but watch this space.”
The former CS has since gone further, suggesting that the former allies could eventually reconcile before the 2027 elections.
The speculation has been amplified by comments from DCP deputy party leader Cleophas Malala, who has acknowledged that political rivals continue to communicate behind the scenes despite public differences.
Malala on Wednesday argued that politicians should not be assumed to be enemies simply because they occupy opposing political camps, saying leaders across the political divide continue to speak to one another.
But just days before Gachagua’s departure, Ruto said he was willing to work with politicians across the political divide but would not work with leaders he believes “promote ethnic bigotry, divisive rhetoric or insults” against other Kenyans.
Although Ruto did not name Gachagua in his interview with the Daily Nation, the remarks were widely understood as a reference to his former deputy and the politics that eventually destroyed their partnership.
Gachagua has said he wants to engage Kenyans in the diaspora, American allies and use the extended stay to reflect on his political future without what he describes as undue influence from people around him.
His party has released an itinerary showing political engagements in Spokane, Portland, Kansas, Dallas and Boston from September 4 to October 9.
The US coincidence comes as both sides prepare
for the decisive phase of the 2027 contest. Ruto is seeking to broaden his
political alliances and defend his record, while Gachagua is trying to unite an
increasingly crowded opposition field around a single candidate and make Ruto a
‘wantam’ (one-term) President
