Gachagua to Ruto: Kenyans are your real political opponents, not Uhuru

Citizens Party leader Rigathi Gachagua has urged President William Ruto to concentrate his political efforts on Kenyans rather than his former president Uhuru Kenyatta in the run-up to the 2027 General Election. In a statement posted on X on September 16, 2026, Gachagua argued that Ruto should not view Uhuru as his opponent in the upcoming election, emphasizing that the political debate should instead center on the concerns of millions of Kenyans.

"President Uhuru Kenyatta is not your opponent in this election. You are just trying a bad deflection," Gachagua stated. The DCP leader responded to Ruto's recent attacks on Uhuru, in which the incumbent questioned the latter's political prospects after failing to defeat him in 2022. Gachagua urged Ruto to focus on issues affecting workers, young people, businesses, patients, parents, and students, among other Kenyan groups, as the main focus of the 2027 political conversation.

He listed these groups as the primary stakeholders in the upcoming election, implying that the opposition's main objective is to identify a presidential candidate who can unite Kenyans against the incumbent. Gachagua also defended Uhuru's political standing, urging Ruto to concentrate on voters' choices instead of dragging the retired president into the contest.

He suggested that the leaders seeking to challenge Ruto would ultimately receive their mandate from Kenyans rather than him. "The leaders tasked with the responsibility of removing you from office require no sponsorship. They have clear and sufficient instructions from the people of Kenya," Gachagua said. He added that the opposition's remaining task is to identify a presidential candidate who will carry the broader political coalition into the 2027 election.

Gachagua referenced recent political events, such as the Ol Kalou by-elections, as a dress rehearsal for the upcoming General Election, suggesting that the political environment will likely mirror the one that may develop as the country moves closer to the 2027 polls.