Ousted Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua faced a significant blow on Monday, October 21, as members of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) publicly denounced his role within the party. During a UDA comrades event in Eldoret, Secretary General Hassan Omar announced plans to expel Gachagua within a week, marking a decisive shift in the party’s stance.
“Gachagua must now accept the ground has shifted and move on,” Omar stated, urging the former Deputy President to make way for new leadership. He further emphasized that UDA no longer recognized Gachagua as its deputy leader, citing the party’s Constitution as the basis for this decision.
UDA Treasurer Jafeth Nyakundi echoed Omar’s sentiments, declaring that Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki was poised to assume the role of Kenya’s next Deputy President. “We already recognize Kindiki as our deputy president and deputy party leader, but we will officially install him soon,” Nyakundi confirmed, asserting that Gachagua’s actions had betrayed the core values of UDA.
Omar revealed that he had received direct instructions from President William Ruto to engage with the youth to revitalize the party and the nation. This directive reflects a broader effort to strengthen UDA’s position amidst ongoing internal strife.
Gachagua’s diminishing standing within UDA underscores the growing rift between him and President Ruto. The political landscape in Kenya is evolving rapidly, with Gachagua’s potential exit from UDA coinciding with a surge of dissent among his allies from the influential Mount Kenya region. Former lawmaker Kimani Ngunjiri noted that several prominent figures are contemplating a breakaway from UDA to form a new political bloc.
“We shall form our own party. Ruto’s UDA is now in bed with the opposition,” Ngunjiri declared back in August, long before Gachagua’s impeachment escalated tensions. He criticized the lack of a written agreement when Mount Kenya voters supported Ruto in 2022, viewing it as a miscalculation that left the region politically vulnerable.
As Gachagua’s political future hangs in the balance, he faces a critical moment on Tuesday, October 22, when a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Martha Koome will conduct an inter-partes hearing to determine the validity of his impeachment. For Gachagua, this hearing may represent his last opportunity to salvage his political career as he grapples with a party increasingly distancing itself from him.
As these developments unfold, the UDA’s strategies and Gachagua’s next steps could have profound implications for Kenya’s political landscape in the coming months.