RUTO, GACHAGUA DRAW THE LINE ON 2027 DEAL

President William Ruto and his former deputy Rigathi Gachagua have effectively closed the door on any political reunion, setting the stage for an increasingly confrontational battle ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Ruto, while speaking during an interview with journalists at State House, said he remained open to working with leaders across Kenya's political divide but ruled out cooperation with politicians whose politics, he argued, undermine national unity.

“In Kenya, people work with everybody. I am a democrat, and I believe in working with people. However, I would be reluctant to work with any leader who does not believe in nationalism and the unity of our nation,” Ruto said.

The President went further, taking aim at leaders he accused of promoting ethnic divisions and using language that pits Kenyans against one another.

“Anyone who believes in ethnic bigotry or engages in divisive, tribal or ethnic rhetoric against other Kenyans is someone I cannot work with,” he added.

Although Ruto did not directly name Gachagua in those remarks, his comments came against the backdrop of a bitter confrontation between the two men, with Gachagua’s political influence largely associated with the Mt Kenya region.

Ruto also defended Gachagua's impeachment, portraying it as a constitutional process carried out by Parliament rather than a political manoeuvre against his former deputy.

“The impeachment was a constitutional exercise carried out by Members of Parliament. I think Kenyans now understand that when a leader uses divisive ethnic rhetoric, demeans other Kenyans and labels people as cousins, traitors or enemies, it is no wonder that MPs moved to impeach him,” Ruto said.

He added that some lawmakers who participated in the impeachment had indicated they would take the same course again if another opportunity arose.

“You have heard the members of parliament who impeached him say that if there was another occasion, they would impeach him again,” Ruto said

Gachagua, however, has shown no interest in rebuilding the relationship.

Speaking at his Wamunyoro residence on Monday, August 24, where he met delegates from Isiolo and other parts of northern Kenya, the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader dismissed the possibility of returning to Ruto's political camp.

Responding to Ruto's remarks, Gachagua said the President's position only confirmed what he already knew about their relationship.

“I saw yesterday that he said something very good during an interview. He said, “I am ready to work with any leaders except Riggy G. It is not that he does not want to work with me; it is because he knows it is impossible.”

“I cannot take his money. He cannot bribe me. He cannot intimidate me. He cannot overthrow me. He has raised his hand against me and attacked me politically; it is impossible,” Gachagua stated.

The former deputy president said his priority was no longer finding common ground with Ruto but building a political movement capable of defeating him at the ballot.

“Kasongo, you have done well by telling Kenyans that you cannot work with Riggy G. So, for all those Kenyans who do not want Kasongo, there is now someone to rely on, because I am committed to making sure William Ruto serves only one term, and he knows this, because he knows me very well,” the former DP stressed.

Gachagua has also been pushing opposition leaders to unite behind a single candidate rather than allow individual political interests to weaken the challenge against Ruto.

He warned politicians who choose to accept overtures from the President that they should not assume their supporters would automatically follow them into government.

“I want to tell my colleagues in the opposition, that should you accept his invitation to work with him. be aware that you will go alone, Kenyans will not follow you, If you go to William Ruto, go alone,” he added.

Despite the increasingly personal nature of their political exchanges, Gachagua has maintained that his dispute is with Ruto rather than the Kalenjin community, stressing that the community remains part of Kenya's political future.

For now, both men have publicly ruled out any possibility of returning to their former partnership. However, Kenyan politics has repeatedly shown that today’s rivals can become tomorrow’s allies, with political rivalries giving way to handshakes and broad-based arrangements, as witnessed between former President Uhuru Kenyatta and the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, and later between Raila and President William Ruto.

This raises a question: Could the ever-changing tides of Kenyan politics somehow bring us another Ruto–Rigathi partnership?