Gachagua Reveals Why He Holds No Grudge Against Sifuna Over Impeachment

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has described his October 2024 impeachment as a strategic turning point that ultimately strengthened the United Opposition while dismantling President William Ruto’s core political base in Mount Kenya.

Speaking during an interview on KTN on Wednesday, October 28, the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader revealed that he holds no bitterness toward Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna or former opposition figures who voted to remove him from office. Gachagua explained that during an October 20 meeting at his Wamunyoro residence, Sifuna outlined how the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) viewed the impeachment strictly through an opposition lens.

According to Gachagua, Sifuna explained that ODM leaders capitalized on President Ruto’s offer to remove his deputy. By backing the motion, they aimed to sever the President's relationship with the Mount Kenya voting bloc, which had been crucial to the ruling coalition’s victory in 2022.

Gachagua stated that he accepted Sifuna’s reasoning because the two belonged to opposing political camps at the time. He noted that betrayal can only come from allies within the same coalition, such as his former partners in Kenya Kwanza, rather than political competitors acting in their own interest. 

He added that the fallout from his removal has left President Ruto facing severe political liability in Mount Kenya, where voters will demand answers regarding his former deputy.

Now co-principals within the United Opposition alongside Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Gachagua and Sifuna are participating in ongoing consultations to select a single flag bearer for the August 10, 2027, General Election. 

The discussions follow a high-level meeting between Gachagua and Musyoka on Monday, October 26, focused on building coalition unity.

During the interview, Gachagua urged all opposition contenders to publicly mandate that their supporters back whoever is chosen to lead the coalition. He strongly criticized politicians who remain silent when their followers threaten to vote for President Ruto if their preferred candidate is not nominated.

While asserting that his organizational capacity and resource mobilization make him the most suitable candidate to face Ruto, Gachagua pledged to support any selected candidate unconditionally if the coalition's agreed selection formula favors someone else. 

He also rejected claims from some Jubilee figures that non-electable leaders could serve merely as vote mobilizers, maintaining that a presidential candidate must directly command votes from the electorate.

Addressing party operations, Gachagua confirmed that DCP remains open to receiving former Kenya Kwanza allies who wish to realign with the opposition. He said that defectors would not undergo vetting processes and would only need to purchase party membership to join.