Lawyer Wahome Thuku has claimed that President William Ruto made a strategic miscalculation in the impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, arguing that the move has unintentionally strengthened Gachagua’s political standing ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Thuku suggested that instead of sidelining Gachagua early, Ruto should have retained him in office and allowed his leadership style to erode his support base in the Mt Kenya region.
“William Samoei Ruto made a miscalculation,” Thuku stated. “He would have used Rigathi Gachagua to completely torment the mountain before dropping him. He should have supplied him with unlimited authority and the resources to do so.”
Thuku pointed to a series of controversial actions during Gachagua’s tenure, arguing that they had already begun to alienate sections of the Mt Kenya electorate.
“From September 2022 to around March 2024, Gachagua had established himself as a source of misery among common residents in Mt Kenya,” he said.
He cited incidents including the alleged arrest of elderly women in Murang’a for holding prayer gatherings perceived to oppose the government, as well as the arrest of political activist Pauline Njoroge.
“How he ordered the arrest of Pauline Njoroge and implicated her in fake bangi trafficking. How he tormented the Kenyatta family over claims of funding protests,” Thuku added.
The lawyer further recalled instances where Gachagua reportedly exerted pressure on political leaders and business operators within the region.
“One time he summoned MPs from coffee-growing areas. Ndindi Nyoro narrowly avoided consequences because he was with the President,” he said. “In Mathira, bars were shut down, and only those who complied were spared.”
Thuku also referenced Gachagua’s public remarks and security approach during protests, including describing some youths in Mt Kenya as criminal elements.
“He supervised and praised police crackdowns and labeled young people as Mûngiki,” he noted.
According to Thuku, these actions could have gradually turned public opinion against Gachagua if he had remained in office longer.
“Ruto acted too early and gave him time to rebrand,” he argued. “Today, many of his supporters see him as a liberator. They do not understand what power would have made him become.”
Gachagua, now positioning himself as a key political figure and leader within the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), has increasingly emerged as a vocal critic of the Kenya Kwanza administration.