Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has ruled out any political deal with President William Ruto, drawing a firm line under his former boss as he concludes a 56-day consultation exercise ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Gachagua, the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader, made the remarks on Monday during his final engagements at his Wamunyoro residence in Nyeri County, where he hosted delegations from Isiolo and Marsabit before meeting young Kenyans, including Gen Z.
The consultations, which brought together politicians, grassroots leaders, professionals, clergy and other opinion leaders, are expected to culminate in a 3pm address in which Gachagua will outline the views he gathered and his political direction.
The former Deputy President had initially planned a 45-day consultation but extended the exercise to 56 days as delegations continued visiting his Wamunyoro home.
During the Isiolo engagement, Gachagua dismissed the possibility of returning to an alliance with Ruto, saying he could not be persuaded by money or political pressure.
“I cannot take his money. He cannot bribe me. He cannot intimidate me. He cannot overthrow me,” Gachagua said
His remarks came after Ruto, in an interview published on Monday, said he was willing to work with opposition leaders but ruled out politicians he accused of promoting ethnic bigotry, divisive rhetoric and insults against Kenyans.
Gachagua said the rejection was mutual, insisting that his political differences with Ruto could not be resolved through an alliance.
The former Deputy President has increasingly positioned himself as part of the opposition effort to prevent Ruto from securing a second term in 2027.
He has also argued that opposition parties should ultimately settle on one presidential candidate to challenge the Kenya Kwanza administration, saying he would be ready to carry the opposition ticket if chosen.
At the same time, Gachagua has said he would support another candidate if opposition leaders agreed on a different flag-bearer, and could take up a campaign leadership role.
His Wamunyoro consultations have been central to that strategy, allowing him to engage leaders and communities outside his traditional Mount Kenya political base.
On Monday, a delegation from northern Kenya, including representatives from Isiolo and Marsabit, visited Wamunyoro as Gachagua continued efforts to broaden what he has described as the Mount Kenya North political bloc.
The DCP leader has in recent weeks argued for a broader political coalition bringing together communities from the Mount Kenya region and other parts of the country.
He has also intensified his criticism of leaders supporting the Ruto administration, including Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, whom he recently accused of betraying the interests of the Mount Kenya region.
Gachagua’s consultations come against the backdrop of his increasingly public campaign against the Kenya Kwanza administration, particularly over the cost of living, governance and what he describes as political marginalisation of some regions.
After completing his Wamunyoro engagements, Gachagua is expected to travel to Nairobi before departing for the United States on Wednesday, August 26, accompanied by his wife, Pastor Dorcas Gachagua.
He has described the trip as an opportunity to spend time away from the political environment in Kenya while consulting Kenyans in the diaspora and American contacts.
“There are things that I am planning and that cannot be done from the country,” he said during a church service in Karatina on Sunday.
Gachagua said he needed solitude to make important political decisions without being influenced by people around him.
The planned trip comes at a crucial moment in his political journey as he seeks to transform the momentum generated by his Wamunyoro consultations into a broader national opposition movement.
It also comes as political parties and leaders begin positioning themselves for the 2027 presidential contest.
Gachagua’s next move remains closely watched, particularly whether he will seek the opposition presidential ticket himself, throw his weight behind another candidate or push for a negotiated coalition arrangement.
For now, however, he has made his position on Ruto clear: there will be no return to the political partnership that once placed the two at the centre of the Kenya Kwanza administration.
His 3pm address is therefore expected to provide the clearest indication yet of how he intends to translate 56 days of consultations into a concrete political strategy for the road to 2027.
