Take this to the World Bank: Geoffrey Rigathi Gachagua will decide the 2027 presidential ballot.
Those feigning hope that Gachagua is a passing crowd should smell the coffee and negotiate with him.
Riggy G is now the second most popular leader in Kenya after President Ruto. His direct approach to politics has endeared him to Kenyans—not just GEMA or Murima as people assume.
Like his former boss, President Ruto, Gachagua has homes in five rural counties where he hosts delegations from the comfort of his residences.
Over the weekend, he visited Machakos on the invitation of Wiper leader Dr. Kalonzo Musyoka and declared himself the spokesman of the Kamba community. The approval was instant.
So why would Kalonzo invite him to Machakos on the morning of a scheduled meeting? Kalonzo was aware that the President was in the neighboring Kathiani Constituency. He therefore decided to steal the thunder by inviting his nemesis. It worked.
So how will Riggy G decide the election? He will deliver 98 percent of the GEMA vote to DCP and 70 percent of the Kamba vote (Lower Eastern, Coast, and diaspora).
Bank this too: Ukambani has recently warmed to Riggy G, just as it did to Kibaki and Matiba in 1992.
This leads to the question: Who exactly is Riggy G? Where did he come from? How did he win the trust of President Moi, President Uhuru, and President Ruto?
His former University of Nairobi comrades say that Gachagua was once a youth confidant of Moi. He reportedly used Moi’s generosity to start DJ businesses in major clubs across the city.
This was a lucrative business. By the time he graduated, Gachagua was already driving.
Of course, there are wild claims of blood ties with the Presidency that have never been proven. Psychologists, however, have noted Kalenjin traits in the conduct of the Deputy President.
The new angle to the DCP story is that it could replace ODM with majority MPs in Parliament. This, observers argue, would be the point at which Gachagua could stage a scientific handshake with President Ruto.
So why did he clash with the President to the point of impeachment? First, there was nothing personal. President Ruto was not a flight-by-night politician. He had been building political alliances since 2005, when he declared his ambition to one day rule Kenya. Moi nurtured Ruto politically, hoping to prepare Gideon Moi to succeed Uhuru. It is even suggested that Ruto taught the young Moi the Kalenjin dialect.
Once Moi retired, Ruto executed a bloodless palace coup against the Moi family—for good.
Gachagua, on the other hand, was a political and social son of President Moi. Moi enriched him and later employed him as a District Officer. Some still speculate that Gachagua may have been a Special Branch officer planted to spy on the provincial administration.
Remember Professor Phillip Mbithi? Gachagua served as his PA for six months before Mbithi was sacked. He later became PA to President Uhuru Kenyatta when he was Minister for Local Government and Finance.
His war with the NIS before impeachment raised questions, as he appeared to have access to raw intelligence a Deputy President should not ordinarily possess.
Two questions linger: Why did President Uhuru Kenyatta fight and attempt to jail Gachagua between 2018 and 2022? The answer lies in history—Uhuru knew Gachagua inside out. He wanted him out of Tanga Tanga. Uhuru feared Gachagua could easily emerge as the GEMA leader. His fears have since been vindicated, though he is still throwing tantrums.
