Ruto and Gachagua’s Differences Are About Their Own Interests, Not Those of Mt. Kenya Residents

There has been intense debate about the relationship between President William Ruto and his Deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, with two factions emerging.

What has emerged from this debate, which I believe will continue, is that Mr. Gachagua is facing internal opposition within the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party and the ruling Kenya Kwanza coalition.

He appears to be in a difficult position as emerging politicians from his Mt. Kenya stronghold criticize him, especially for supporting revenue allocation based on population size.

President William Ruto remained silent during the debate until recently when he expressed his support for Gachagua. According to the President, he personally chose Gachagua as his deputy and will continue to work with him.

What the President implied is that there is no way he can strip Gachagua of his position unless he persuades and finances MPs to bring forth a motion to remove him from office.

Challenges

Secondly, he knows it is too early to show that his partnership with Gachagua is strained. Gachagua, on his part, has realized that without unity in the Mt. Kenya region, he will face a tough challenge being Ruto’s running mate in the next general election.

Thus, what these two leaders are doing by seemingly downplaying the rift between them is serving their personal interests.

Gachagua wants to secure his political future before 2027, and he is doing so by showing concern for the unity of Mt. Kenya, a unity he helped disrupt before the 2022 general election to protect his interests at the time.

Ruto, on the other hand, wants to protect his current interests, which he achieved by dividing Mt. Kenya and ultimately becoming President.

Therefore, every step a politician takes is to fulfill their personal interests, not to benefit the residents they appear to represent or claim to represent.