Why Gachagua could be the weak link in opposition unity

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.[File, Standard]

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s public call for Gen Z to postpone protests against his former boss, President William Ruto, did not go down well with a number of ‘Riggy G watchers’.

On the eve of the second anniversary of the Gen Z protests that rattled Dr Ruto’s presidency, Mr Gachagua came out publicly against the planned demonstrations, claiming he had information about looming State violence and bloodshed.

While Gachagua and his handlers may have painted him (Gachagua) as a caring father, the stance suggested a man who wants a presidency that no one dares challenge.

This suspicion is backed by a closer look at history, which, by all indicators, suggests that Gachagua, much like Ruto, has little tolerance for anyone who challenges his power.

In 2023, Riggy G stood beside his boss and issued a blunt warning to those opposed to Ruto’s presidency: “You cannot go to the streets and expect police to come kiss you.” In his usual style, Gachagua warned the Opposition, then led by his political nemesis Raila Odinga, against trying to seize power through the back door.

The message was unmistakable: My boss and I have zero tolerance for dissent.

Deep down, Gachagua’s tolerance for dissent may even be lower than that of the man he wants removed from power. A closer look at his record as a district officer in the 1990s suggests that the man who wants to replace Ruto may actually be worse at dealing with both real and perceived opponents.

His critics have used this to argue that, when it comes to handling dissent, a Gachagua presidency could turn out to be even worse than a Ruto presidency. Both men are deeply uncomfortable with situations and people they cannot control.

To his critics, therefore, Gachagua’s stance against the Gen Z memorial protests only reinforced the suspicion that a President Rigathi Gachagua would likely be no different from President William Ruto, who has also shown a thin skin when confronted by dissenting voices.

This may have confused some members of the so-called United Opposition who turned up for the protests, as well as many Gen Z protesters. But Gachagua’s stance, both now and in the past, confirms one thing: What the Opposition wants is not necessarily what Gachagua wants.

While Gen Z and opposition figures acting in Kenya’s best interests may want an end to the all-powerful presidency that readily resorts to brute force to crush dissent, Gachagua appears to want the presidency exactly as it is.

Word on the street is that Gachagua and Ruto are cut from the same cloth; that, given a choice between the two, those who know both men well would rather vote for the current president.

Perhaps this also explains Uhuru Kenyatta’s reluctance to endorse his own kinsman for the top job. As Ruto’s chief rival in the Mount Kenya region, Uhuru may understand better than most that if there is one presidential hopeful who wants Kenya’s presidency to remain exactly as it is, it is Gachagua.

Uhuru should know Gachagua’s true colours, the man behind the “truthful man” persona, and what it means to be on the other end of Gachagua’s raw power.

That Gachagua watched his colleagues in the Opposition sweat it out on the streets with other protesters from the comfort of his Wamunyoro residence can easily be interpreted by his critics to mean that he is not interested in a stronger opposition; he is interested in a stronger Gachagua. As far as he is concerned, his should be the only loud voice on the streets. The rest is noise.

This is the truth that must become clear to the United Opposition and to Gen Z, the country’s largest voting bloc: If forced to choose between them and a powerful presidency that brooks dissent, the “truthful man” will throw them under the bus every single time.

This is the chink in the Opposition's armour; it is the man who seems unwilling to fully commit to opposition protests until he is certain they will deliver him to the State House.

My magical mirror tells me that that man could be Riggy G.

Mr Muchiri is a media and public communications consultant.