Gachagua: Some opposition candidates are 'a little bit slippery'

DCP party leader Rigathi Gachagua. [File, Standard]

The former Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua, has urged united opposition candidates eyeing the presidency to give unconditional and public commitment to support the person they all settle on.

Gachagua said he has repeatedly told those interested to vie to make similar commitment though he described some as ‘a little bit slippery’ and sometimes he has some doubt of them fighting to the end.

On his part, he again pledged to unconditionally support whoever is picked to rival President William Ruto in next year’s elections, saying they are set on ensuring there will be no run-off and that the margin cannot be challenged in court.

“I may not talk for other people but me, as Rigathi, I want to give my commitment; if it is not me, I will support whoever it is unconditionally. I have repeatedly challenged my brothers to also give a similar commitment... some are a little slippery, and that is why I have some little doubt,” Gachagua said as he continued with diaspora engagement in Dallas, Texas.

He challenged his fellow aspirants in the opposition to advise their supporters to avoid giving statements that could put their plan to remove Ruto from office in jeopardy.

“I urge my colleagues in the united opposition to give a clear direction to their supporters to also pronounce themselves whether they will support whoever is agreed upon and remove that rider that ‘if it is not our candidate then they will vote for Ruto’, I don’t think you are genuine to get a single candidate,” Gachagua said.

“That kind of talk is regressive, you have never heard someone who supports Gachagua issuing such kind of statements,” he added.

Gachagua listed aspirants interested in the top seat from the opposition side, including Kalonzo Musyoka, Fred Matiang'i, Martha Karua, Edwin Sifuna, Eugene Wamalwa and himself, arguing that voters had already settled on who they did not want and were waiting for the opposition to present a candidate.

"I have sat down with all of them, and I am sure they are as committed as I am. We shall make sacrifices possible to get one so that we can send Ruto home with a huge margin. The issue of who will not be elected as President has been settled on by Kenyans; they are waiting for us to give them a candidate," he said.

He said the gender and age at this point are immaterial to voters as long as the candidate is above 18 years and qualified.

He claimed a scientific poll he had commissioned placed Ruto's approval at 17 per cent, saying the figure could only worsen for a sitting president.

He also said there is general fear of a flawed electoral process but downplayed any attempts to rig the elections.

According to Gachagua, nobody can steal a general election in Kenya, and this will not be the first to be stolen.

He said the era of elections being held in the polling stations and the ballot boxes being transported to the then district headquarters to be counted, giving an avenue to rig, is long gone.

During that time, Gachagua said there were reports of boxes being exchanged along the way.

But when the election rules were changed, providing that votes be counted at the polling station, Gachagua said the loophole of stealing an election was sealed.

This, he explained, is because people in the polling station cannot allow anyone to alter the results, and also, the Supreme Court pronounced itself in 2013 that the polling station results are final.

Similarly, he said there was a landmark ruling earlier this week that results announced by the Constituency Returning Officer are final and nobody can change them.

“I want to assure you that nobody will steal our votes. We shall protect them. Ruto’s money means nothing; his lies about development cannot deceive anyone. Kenyans are intelligent, and they have made their decisions. Nothing will change the will of Kenyans, and their resolve cannot be changed,” Gachagua affirmed.

“Trust my judgment, from 10,000 kilometers away from home, Ruto will not steal the elections; we will protect our votes. He will go home; your votes will count and will be protected.

He said the country is in a mess, as he took a swipe at Ruto over wastage of public funds, citing a huge delegation he took to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in the United States.

Gachagua said such spending was one of the reasons Kenyans are demanding that the opposition unite behind a single candidate against Ruto in 2027.

He made the remarks in response to remarks by former President Uhuru Kenyatta, who for the first time publicly cast doubt on Ruto’s win in the last elections.

Uhuru said he was certain that the late former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, won the 2022 polls, pointing to a scheme to bungle the outcome that secured President Ruto's win.

Uhuru’s remarks have attracted public condemnation, with Raila’s party and supporters questioning the timing of the statements, accusing the former Head of State of ‘opening old wounds’.