NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 27 – Rigathi Gachagua is casting himself as the whistleblower who dares to call out corruption at the highest levels of power.
But as he plots a 2027 presidential run, the former Deputy President is weighed down by his own baggage from accusations of corruption to ethnic politics and betrayal.
Impeached in October 2024 after a bitter fallout with President William Ruto, Gachagua is now Ruto’s loudest critic, positioning himself as the man exposing State House secrets even as questions linger about his own past.
On Citizen Television Tuesday night, he accused his former boss President Ruto of running a “bribery factory” out of State House, complete with files, recordings, and blackmail to control MPs.
“Files, blackmail and bribes, that is how Ruto controls Parliament,” Gachagua declared.
He even went as far as to brand State House “a crime scene,” alleging that bribery has become official government policy.
But as Gachagua sharpens his attacks, one big question lingers: can Kenyans really trust him?
For years, Gachagua has carried heavy baggage of his own.
He has been accused of ethnic politics, of running a “village kingpin” style of leadership, and of personal corruption.
In 2022, he faced a Sh7.3 billion corruption case before it was dropped for lack of evidence.
Critics now argue that while he blasts President Ruto for bribing MPs, he himself once benefited from the same political deals he condemns.
His impeachment also left scars.
The National Assembly and Senate found him guilty of misconduct, insubordination, and fueling ethnic divisions.
Though he insists the charges were “cooked up by State House,” the record remains part of his legacy.
Since his ouster, however, Gachagua has been on a mission to rewrite that story.
He has launched a new outfit, the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) and is positioning himself as the true defender of ordinary Kenyans.
At his party’s unveiling in May, he vowed to rally the Mount Kenya bloc and lead a national resistance against President Ruto’s rule, even after goons stormed the venue in an attempt to disrupt him.
The strategy is clear: paint himself as the victim of a corrupt system, then ride that anger into 2027.
Still, analysts warn that the “revenge candidate” may struggle to convince voters who remember his own political sins.
“Gachagua is fighting Ruto, yes. But can he fight his past?” one political observer noted.
In the end, his comeback may depend less on the force of his attacks and more on whether Kenyans believe he has truly changed.
2027 may yet offer him redemption or expose him as another politician running from his own shadow.
