Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has challenged President William Ruto to stop looking to retired President Uhuru Kenyatta for an explanation of the opposition facing his administration, saying the real test in 2027 will come from Kenyan voters.
Gachagua said Uhuru was not the person Ruto should be treating as his main political opponent in the next presidential election, arguing that Kenyans dissatisfied with the current administration would determine whether the President remains in office.
His remarks followed Ruto’s recent claim that Uhuru could not prevent him from winning the 2022 election when he was still President and would therefore not be able to stop him in the 2027 race.
Gachagua said Ruto’s 2022 victory was not proof that Uhuru was wrong about him, but rather a result of the former President failing to persuade enough Kenyans about his concerns over Ruto’s leadership.
“I have heard you brag that retired President Uhuru Kenyatta did not defeat you when he was President and that can't defeat you now that he is retired,” Gachagua said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Put logically, you were elected President despite President Uhuru Kenyatta having been against you. It is because President Uhuru Kenyatta did not sufficiently convince me about you.”
The former deputy president said the situation had since changed, claiming that Ruto’s time in office had given Kenyans enough experience of his administration to make their own decision.
“Today, you have proven to me and the whole country that President Uhuru was right,” he said.
“President Uhuru Kenyatta is not your opponent in this election. You are just trying a deflection. Your opponents are the people of Kenya.”
Gachagua said those pushing for political change were not simply acting on Uhuru’s influence, insisting that the President should instead pay attention to the views of millions of Kenyans.
“55 million Kenyans are your opponents. These are your real opponents, and you should not confuse them with the shadow of President Uhuru Kenyatta,” Gachagua said.
He also used the Ol Kalou by-election to illustrate his expectations for the 2027 General Election, describing the contest as an early test of the political mood ahead of the national vote.
“Ol Kalou was just a dress rehearsal for the forthcoming General Election,” he said, adding that voters would not be persuaded by money or inducements.
Gachagua further claimed that opposition leaders were working towards presenting Ruto with a single presidential challenger in 2027.
“The decision to vote you out is settled, and only one matter is outstanding to complete the picture: the identification of a single presidential candidate to take you home,” he said.
He said discussions on the matter were continuing and that Kenyans would soon know the person who would be presented as the opposition candidate against Ruto.
“I want to assure you that this is a piece of work in progress, and very soon we shall let you know the man or woman to whom you shall hand over,” Gachagua said.