Junet Mohamed vows to face Gachagua head-on before 2027 polls

Junet Mohamed, the National Assembly Minority Leader, has pledged to directly challenge former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua as the 2027 General Election campaigns ramp up. During an August 11, 2026 speech, Mohamed criticized Gachagua for disseminating falsehoods over the past two years without facing any political pushback.

He vowed, "Gachagua had a lot of time during the last two years, talking and propagating a lot of lies without anyone responding to him. Now that the campaign season has started, we will respond to everything he says going forward, and all his lies will be demystified."

Mohamed remarked that the current state of opposition politics is lacking in quality compared to past coalitions he was part of. "The level of opposition politics has gone down; it never used to be like this. We used to run the opposition, and every time we wanted to criticize or say something, we would table evidence. Nowadays, you can say anything and nobody will ask you," he stated.

He also took aim at Gachagua over his recent inflammatory remarks. "This is a man who has even claimed that the president should be killed like a snake. This is the guy who has said that this country will burn in 2027 if the election does not go his way," Mohamed asserted.

Gachagua has a history of using strong language when criticizing President William Ruto and the Kenya Kwanza administration. In a notable speech, he urged Ruto to be removed from office "like a snake is removed from a house," a statement that sparked condemnation from Kenya Kwanza officials. He also warned of potential unrest if the 2027 election is not conducted fairly, a claim that received criticism from government supporters.

Mohamed accused the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) of not taking action against Gachagua's inflammatory rhetoric. "NCIC has failed in its mandate because it cannot allow somebody of Gachagua's type to continue doing what he is doing in this country," he argued. Mohamed's comments hint at a more aggressive political stance by those allied with the broad-based government, who have recently intensified attacks on Gachagua as he tries to build support in the Mt Kenya region.

Gachagua has positioned himself as one of President Ruto's most vocal critics since parting ways with the Kenya Kwanza administration, accusing the government of reneging on promises made to Mt Kenya voters. He has been holding political rallies across the region, advocating for a new opposition alliance ahead of the next election.

With Mohamed declaring his party will counter "everything" Gachagua says, it appears the former deputy president will remain a focal point in the build-up to the 2027 polls, paving the way for a more confrontational political battle.