Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has revealed new details about his early involvement in retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s rise to national politics, saying the 2002 presidential race was never meant to be won but to build Kenyatta’s political foundation.
Speaking on KTN News on Sunday night, Gachagua said he served as Uhuru’s personal assistant from 2001 to 2006, a role that placed him at the heart of one of Kenya’s most defining political transitions.
He explained that the team supporting Uhuru at the time was fully aware that victory was out of reach, but they were working with a longer-term strategy.
“When we went into the 2002 election, we knew we wouldn’t win. It was simply a move to position Uhuru for greater opportunities ahead,” Gachagua said. “It was part of building his national image and establishing him as a future leader," the former deputy president said.
According to Gachagua, that experience gave him a deeper understanding of how political leadership is cultivated and how strategy, not emotion, often defines success in politics.
He described the five years working under Uhuru as his training ground in political mobilization and long-term planning.
“It was a journey I am proud of,” he added, noting that the lessons he learned during that time later guided his own political rise to the deputy presidency.