Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has outlined ambitious goals the new opposition alliance he is clobbering up aims to achieve, refuting claims made by his former boss, President William Ruto, that the new opposition has no development agenda and is only focused on attacking him.
The Former Dp, on Sunday, April 27, stated that they are not preoccupied with Ruto’s removal from office, empasizing the 'Opposition's main Agenda is to liberate the country.
Gachagua, noted that salaried Kenyans have - for far too long - decried huge payslips deductions under the Kenya-Kwanza administration following the introduction of levies like the Affodable Housing levy, Social Health Insurance Fund, increased NSSF deductions among others. This, will change under the 'new regime' he said.
Key among their priorities, according to Gachagua, is economic restoration, ending corruption, restoring the dignity of the payslip and ending Tribalism in the country.
The Former Dp explained that while the opposition is not preoccupied with Ruto's ouster, these goals cannot be achieved with the incumbent still at the helm. He stated that Ruto must Go' as a prerequisite for the liberation of the country.
Gachagua, painted a grim picture of what the current administration has subjected the Citizenry to, describing President Ruto as tribal and corrupt.
" Our preoccupation is not to remove William Ruto. Our Preoccupation is to liberate this country, restore the economy, stop corruption, restore the dignity of the payslip and end tribalism. These things are not possible when William Ruto is President because he is the architect of tribalism, Corruption and theft. The Exit of William Ruto is a prerequisite for the liberation of Kenya." Said Gachagua.
Earlier last month, reports emerged that a group of opposition leaders are burning the midnight oil to identify one of them to face off President William Ruto on the ballot in 2027.
Under the efforts spearheaded by the impeached former Deputy President, they have been reportly secretly holding night meetings to strategise on how to form a formidable opposition outfit to kick out President Ruto come the 2027 General Elections.
Gachagua disclosed that besides bringing together leaders of existing political parties, they intend bring on board the Gen Zs, the youthful lot that almost brought down President Ruto’s government last year.
“This is a key constituency that we are already talking to through various social media outlets. One of our strategies is how to ensure they register as voters en masse,” he said.
Gachagua also disclosed that besides onboarding Gen Zs, their strategy also encompasses zoning off the vote-rich Mt Kenya from the reach of President Ruto.
“The truth is that the people of Mt Kenya have realised his lies and deserted him and that is why you are seeing him trying to get the support of other regions,” he said.
Already some of the names being floated to face off with President Ruto include former Vice President and current Wiper Democratic Movement leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Democratic Alliance Party of Kenya (DAP-K) leader Eugene Wamalwa and their counterpart Senior Counsel Martha Karua and former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i.
In a new political twist, Gachagua has been forging alliances with political leaders that he was previously opposed to during his tenure in government, and now he is hosting them at his Wamunyoro home to win them over.
The caucuses which have been convened either in Nairobi or Gachagua’s Nyeri home in Wamunyoro have majorly been on strategy, where the leaders, apart from deliberating on who will fly their flag, have also agreed to engage and recruit more members into their fold.
Insiders revealed that Gachagua has vowed to use whatever means possible to ensure that his former boss is not re-elected in the 2027 General Elections.
The President on the other hand has on numerous occasions refuted claims he will make history as Kenya's first president to serve one term, exudeding confidence in his re-election bid.
As the 2027 elections loom closer, Ruto faces mounting headwinds that threaten to derail his administration, as the country grapples with economic, political and social pressures.
Ruto’s political survival hinges on his actions over the coming months, especially regarding the 2025 Finance.
As the 2025 Finance Bill presentation and anniversary of last year’s unrest approach, Ruto needs to appease the local population, meet the expectations of anxious creditors, and ensure that Kenya’s powerful patronage networks continue to benefit.
Ruto will need to prioritise public demands over creditor expectations to prevent any mobilisation against his position. However, failure to sufficiently address creditor concerns would pose its own risks to the economy, and by extension Ruto, over the medium to longer terms.
Even if Ruto strikes this delicate balance, precedent in Kenya suggests that anything is possible ahead of the 2027 elections.
With the Former Deputy President Gachagua at the Forefront building a rebellion against the Incumbent in the Vote-rich Mt Kenya Region, Ruto faces a Mountain in his re-election bid.
