Gachagua: We cannot allow Ruto to harass our candidate

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Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has urged opposition principals to restrain their supporters and cease giving conditions in the quest to pick a single candidate to unseat President William Ruto.

He said such conditions may complicate the equation, with Gachagua reiterating his earlier sentiments that hinted at a possible opposition principal ditching their camp ahead of the 2027 General Election but declined to give the name.

Gachagua insisted that not everybody who chants the "wantam" slogan in the opposition necessarily means they are genuine about their stand, claiming that some are sponsored by Ruto to divide the one-term vote to his advantage.

At the same time, Gachagua has suggested that at the earliest, they should name their single candidate at least five months to General Election, likening the scenario to a 2002 moment where the late former President Mwai Kibaki was named close to the then election’s date and still carried the day with a landslide.

“It is a 2002 moment, history is repeating itself. Kenyans, if we are not careful, we can fall for that trap like the people of Mbeere North. In my opinion, we should agree and keep quiet and unleash at the best time. We are yet to build consensus,” Gachagua said, in an interview with KTN on Wednesday.

He affirmed that the United opposition will not handpick a presidential candidate, saying their formula remains a secret weapon to be unleashed at the right time.

“We have not agreed, the conversation is ongoing and I’m trying to persuade my colleagues on what should be done. I have a good idea but I cannot dictate and I cannot tell you because it will be giving out our strategy. Ruto is not happy we have not named anyone. We will name at the right time and I’m urging Kenyans to be patient,” Gachagua said.

He accused Ruto of being a vicious person who harasses his opponents and they will not give him that opportunity to interfere with their plan, even as he insisted that strategy is part of winning the elections and they will not reveal it to the public at this point.

Gachagua also defended his decision to hold meetings in Wamunyoro saying they are aimed at crafting a winning strategy to liberate Kenya and the formation of the sixth administration.

“Wamunyoro is a political shrine and not any discussion held there are binding, it is not discussion about land, business, tourism or other things, it is about crafting a winning strategy to liberate our country and forming the sixth administration. Kenyans are jittery and want us to agree on one person,” he said.

Gachagua has his opposition counterparts seeking to unseat President Ruto must hit the ground running and convince voters, saying Kenyans cannot vote for leaders they have neither seen nor heard, yet politics is a game of numbers.

He lashed out at rival camps threatening to vote for Ruto if their candidate is not picked, saying his supporters will reject any opposition candidate not ready to support others.

“I too have supporters, if it ever reaches that it is not Gachagua, my supporters will be quite uncomfortable to allow me support or urge them to support somebody who has been saying if it is not them, it is Ruto. My supporters will not support that kind of a candidate. So, I want to tell those supporters thinking they are pleasing their candidates, they are actually setting them up against other leaders’ supporters,” Gachagua explained.

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He added: “What supporters want to know, I have said I can support scholars publicly. If he decides to support me, his supporters would feel comfortable to support me because I had indicated that I can support them also.”

He made reference to his remarks in the US, indicating that despite Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna being a relatively younger person, he can support him and it should also be vice versa.

Gachagua praised the Linda Mwananchi’s team, led by Sifuna and their resolve to make Ruto a one-term President saying they are firm in their messaging, energy and mobilisation power, insisting politics is about numbers.

“If Sifuna and his supporters decide to support me, I think his supporters will be quite kind to me because I had already expressed my willingness to support him if the formula favours me. But if a situation where some supporters are abusing my supporters and me continuously, then it will reache that day we need to make a decision, it will not be easy,” Gachagua stated.

Gachagua said their meeting with Sifuna sent a positive signal and was confident that joint mobilisation efforts will boost voter turnout and unite opposition.

“I urge my colleagues, the way to restrain your supporters is not to call them to a meeting to tell them, don't talk loosely. The way to restrain your supporters is being categorical yourself. You have never heard supporters of Gachagua saying, if it's not Gachagua, it's Ruto. Why? Because Gachagua has been clear, publicly, from day one, telling Kenyans, including his supporters, that I'm the best suited person to face Ruto with no conditions,” he added.

He also said Ruto is struggling with picking a running mate since he wants to get rid of the incumbent Kithure Kindiki because he has no numbers.

“He (Ruto) has a bigger problem on his hands than we do. We are also waiting as a matter of strategy depending on who he picks as the running mate. It also has a strategic bearing on our own internal agreements on how to proceed,” Gachagua said.

He also praised Kalonzo as one of Kenya’s most principled leaders, saying the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga betrayed him three times, yet he remained loyal and stood by him.

Gachagua has also dismissed that he has scheduled a meeting with former President Uhuru Kenyatta yet, but will not accept the constant bashing because he handed over power peacefully.

“Starting tomorrow, I'm going to defend former President Uhuru Kenyatta. He has really been bashed in my absence. It's my duty as leader of my community to protect my kinsmen,” he uttered.

Meanwhile, he regretted the abduction of senior Standard editor, Alex Kiprotich, saying investigations into his case have been slow because nothing is happening behind the scenes.

He also condemned the raid on Standard Group , saying it is an attempt to gag it owing to its factual reporting.

He also told the Government to leave the former late President Daniel Moi alone, saying it is wrong to try and drive them out of their family land and said he is ready to defend them.

"Leave the Moi family alone. Ruto is setting a dangerous precedent which is wrong. We know who is behind the attack on Standard group and it was a Government attack, nothing will come out of those investigations," he said.