By Anderson Ojwang
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua could turn out to be a double-edged sword to the opposition in next year’s general elections.
From one perspective, Gachagua could be the engine to drive the opposition to victory against President William Ruto, while on the other, he could be the soft belly in the opposition’s failure.
Last Thursday’s Gen Z anniversary exposed Gachagua’s weakness, which may haunt the opposition in the 2027 general elections.
Gachagua’s no-show at the anniversary should be a wake-up call to Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Siaya Governor James Orengo, former Chief Justice David Maraga, and opposition leader Martha Karua of a similar trend in the future.
The anniversary also laid down Gachagua’s script, which he may be playing close to his chest by consolidating Mt Kenya to have the majority of members of the National Assembly and Senators, and be able to negotiate with whoever becomes the President.
King of Mt Kenya
The move by Gachagua to replace DCP founding Secretary General Hezron Obaga with Nyandarua Senator John Methu and other founding officials with his close allies showed a glimpse of his game plan.
“Senator John Methu, for all practical purposes, is a member of DCP, and he will start acting from today as the Secretary General designate and be the spokesperson of the DCP party on all matters starting today,” he said then.
In Gachagua’s script for Mt Kenya is the power arrangement formula with governors elected on the DCP ticket.
Under the DCP model, governors elected on the party ticket would cede half of all appointive positions to the party, allowing Gachagua to reward loyalists and maintain grassroots control.
“Governors elected on the DCP ticket will have an agreement with us. Half of the positions will come to the party so we can take care of our people who contested but did not win,” Gachagua said.
This is a script Gachagua has borrowed from the former ODM leader, the late Raila Odinga, where his close allies were absorbed in counties in which ODM won the gubernatorial race.
Control in the National Houses
Gachagua is an admirer and a student of the Raila school of politics and is keenly implementing his script episode by episode.
Gachagua already has his eyes either on controlling the opposition and being able to negotiate with the government of the day, or controlling the government by virtue of the number of MPs and Senators in the Houses.
A Mau Mau or Home Guard descendant
The Kikuyu Home Guard was a colonial-era paramilitary force formed in 1953 by the British administration in Kenya to fight Mau Mau insurgents. Made up primarily of “loyalist” Kikuyu, it became a primary target of the Mau Mau and remains a deeply divisive and controversial aspect of the community’s history.
While the Mau Mau were the militant wing of a growing clamour for political representation and freedom in Kenya, Gachagua has always carried himself and boasted as being the descendant of the Mau Mau, the brave warrior from Mt Kenya.
Gachagua claimed there was a plot to assassinate him and instead remained locked in his Wamunyoro home.
“Since I was targeted for assassination then by this killer squad in church, I am apprehensive; probably Mr. Kipchumba Murkomen and DIG Lagat have instructed them to proceed to Wamunyoro and complete the job they failed to do in January. In whatever situation, God is in control,” he wrote.
Internal Security Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen claimed Gachagua was a coward who hides under the bed when others are out protesting.
“I know Gachagua is the father of violence in our country. I know he is a coward. That is why I know how to deal with him. Have you ever seen Gachagua go to any demos? Have you seen him in any protests? He sits back and sends people’s children. Ask him to try to come to the streets,” he said.
Home Guard mentality
Gachagua, as Deputy President, vowed to crush the protesters and even asked President William Ruto to assign him the duty of handling the Azimio la Umoja protesters led by the late Raila Amolo Odinga.
Gachagua, in his past speeches on demonstrations, said Mt Kenya people were known as wealth creators and not destructive.
“This region, nobody will be allowed to come and destroy property. We from Mt Kenya have never known the stupidity of killing people and destroying properties. It has never happened in this region. The people of Mt Kenya are progressive, businesspersons and farmers; they do not know about wealth destruction but wealth creation and protection. Let me say now, let’s see how it will unfold. No responsible government will allow such hooliganism witnessed in Nairobi. You said demonstrations are your right. Is destruction of properties a right? What right are you fighting for? That is why we told Uhuru Kenyatta to his face: we cannot elect that person. We know him that he is the lord of violence and impunity in the Republic of Kenya. I told Uhuru Kenyatta this man is the problem of this country. I am going to call a meeting for the leaders of Mt Kenya region on how to deal with these characters now,” he said then.
Survivor
Gachagua denied claims that he was a coward, saying he was only protecting his people.
“Some people have labelled me a coward. ‘Why can’t Gachagua join the demos?’ I am not a coward. Everyone knows. I am a leader who cares for his people. I can’t take my people to die; I would be stupid. I cannot accept to allow destruction of properties of my people; I would be stupid. We have the opportunity to remove President William Ruto through the ballot. If we die, how will we remove him?” he said.
A pretender
The CS labelled Gachagua as a false pretender to the throne, who claimed to have taken over the leadership from the late Raila Odinga while he hides in his bedroom when others were on the streets.
“He is pretending that he has taken over and he is like Tinga, the late Raila Amolo Odinga. You cannot be Tinga,” he said.
Murkomen said Gachagua was not comparable to Raila, who at 80 braved teargas while the former DP hid in his home.
“Tinga at 80 years was on the forefront leading despite being teargassed. You have not left your house. You went to hide under the bed, and you ask your wife, Mama Dorcas, to look outside if it is safe. What kind of a man are you?” he said.
For Gachagua, any side of the bread is buttered for him, and the opposition may suffer Gachagua’s double-edged sword.
