Rigathi Gachagua Says Raila Odinga Was Not a Good Choice for Presidency in 2022 as He Revisits His Fallout With Ruto

A new political storm has risen again after former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua opened up about what really happened before and after the 2022 General Election.

The renewed interest in his story comes days after several media outlets, inspired by analyses similar to those we previously highlighted, began revisiting Gachagua’s political journey and the mistakes he says the country made.

Speaking during a public forum, Gachagua said the people of Mt. Kenya were misled during the 2022 election because retired president Uhuru Kenyatta never revealed the full truth about President William Ruto.

According to him, Uhuru urged the region to reject Ruto but did not give any evidence strong enough to convince the people.

“If Uhuru had told us exactly what he knew about Ruto, things would have been different. He spoke in general terms. He never explained why we were supposed to avoid him,” Gachagua said.

He added that the alternative candidate promoted by Uhuru—the late Raila Odinga—was also not a good choice for the region at the time. He said Mt. Kenya voters struggled to understand why they were being asked to shift their support so drastically.

“The person he brought to us was also not the best option,” he said, while noting that Raila had made great contributions in opposition politics.

Gachagua went further to explain that his relationship with President Ruto collapsed soon after they took office. He claimed he discovered that the president could not be trusted and accused him of running the country in a way that did not benefit the people.

“We elected him thinking he was a good person. But when we got there, I realised things were different. He has plundered the country, killed opportunities, and shown open hostility towards the Mt. Kenya region,” he said.

He also said that one of their biggest disagreements came during the Gen Z protests. According to him, he could not stay silent when young Kenyans were losing their lives.

“When I saw young people being killed, I could not keep quiet. My conscience could not allow me,” Gachagua added.

His fallout with the president grew rapidly and ended with his impeachment in October 2024. Since then, he has been a strong critic of the government, speaking publicly about corruption, mistrust, and failed promises.

Gachagua dismissed any chances of shaking hands with President Ruto. He said his conscience would never allow it, claiming that the president has “blood on his hands” from the deaths of protesters.

“There is no way I can look him in the eye and pretend everything is fine,” he said firmly.

Kenyans reacted strongly to Gachagua’s comments, with many questioning his timing and sincerity.

James Odinga said that Gachagua was shifting blame instead of accepting that the region made its own political decisions.

“Leadership is not about pointing fingers,” he noted.

Others wondered why Gachagua now claims Raila was not a good choice while defending his own push for Ruto in 2022. Some said he was reopening old wounds that should be allowed to heal.

One commenter wrote, “Why can’t you let Baba rest? These statements keep reopening wounds.”

In the same discussion, analysts revisited why Uhuru supported Raila in the first place. The former president said he backed Raila because he believed Raila could unite the country and bring much-needed political stability.

Despite his efforts, the Azimio coalition eventually lost to Ruto after the Supreme Court upheld the IEBC results.