The 17-hour intrigues that gave Rigathi deputy job

The unveiling of Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua as William Ruto’s running mate was preceded by 17-hours of intense lobbying, protracted negotiations and horse trading, the Star can reveal.

A decision that Ruto had on Tuesday termed the “easiest of issues” turned out to be a political hot potato that exposed deep-seated differences in his camp and nearly claimed his nascent alliance.

On Sunday, Ruto described the lengthy talks as a “marathon of intensive negotiations,” by the Kenya Kwanza family.

Gachagua is considered fiery and charismatic and he is from Nyeri, the heart of Mt Kenya. He also is considered the best boxer to face Azimio’s expected choice of Martha Karua. Some say he could be Mt Kenya's next kingpin, lifting the lid on competition as President Uhuru leaves office but not politics.

The Star has pieced together anxious moments that put Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Coalition on the edge as key figures within the outfit frantically shuttled to salvage the situation.

It has emerged that Ruto’s running mate choice split his allies from Mt Kenya region into camps that were fiercely fighting for the post as the race narrowed down to Gachagua and Tharaka Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki.

While a majority of Mt Kenya MPs supported Kindiki, Ruto and a section of his think tanks insisted passionately on Gachagua.

With indications that Azimio candidate Raila Odinga could settle on Narc Kenya’s Martha Karua, Ruto and his advisers believed picking Kindiki could trigger a protest vote from the Kikuyu.

Tellingly, there had been protests in Rigathi’s constituency on Saturday as word went round that the DP had settled on Kindiki.

The heated negotiations that started on Saturday morning and lasted into midnight also brought to the fore the split between Central Kenya and Mt Kenya East.

“It’s not possible that all of us had to see things the same way,”admitted Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria.

Kuria confessed that he was lobbying for National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi.

“JB [Justin Muturi], you need to know mimi ni jeshi yako. But it ended there, for now mimi ni jeshi ya Rigathi Gachagua,” Kuria said at a press conference in Ruto’s Nairobi residence in Karen.

After the announcement by Ruto, a wave of celebrations swept through Eldoret and Rigathi’s Nyeri backyard. The Star has established that the DP’s allies prevailed upon him to allow them to submit to a secret ballot vote to settle the running mate question, something that Ruto had strongly opposed.

The DP is said to have sought to build consensus and name Rigathi as his deputy, but gathered intelligence of fierce behind-the-scenes lobbying against his running mate of choice.

Earlier during the meeting, Ruto is said to have put up a strong case for Rigathi, urging his allies from Mt Kenya to endorse him to consolidate the gains made so far in the region.

Hearing nothing of that and after days of city meetings, most Mt Kenya MPs wanted Kindiki, putting Ruto on the horns of a dilemma.

The DP, who was under pressure, would later agree to a secret ballot.

Kindiki won with 50 votes against Rigathi’s six votes, triggering a stand-off at the DP’s Karen residence that lasted for about two hours.

The DP then asked all other non-Mt Kenya MPs to leave the room and allow the matter to be settled by the region’s MPs who were present.

“The MPs were divided and would hear non of the DP’s pleas to allow him pick Rigathi, and even insisted on voting by secret ballot,” an MP who participated in the process said.

After the results were out, Rigathi is said to have become furious and insisted that he was the best bet to deputise Ruto.

Kindiki also stood his ground, saying the secret ballot had settled the matter and therefore he should be named Ruto’s running mate in the August 9 general election.

At this point, at around 5pm, Rigathi and Kindiki were asked to leave the compound and allow for more consultations as Ruto called in leaders of his Kenya Kwanza team to help break the impasse.

Multiple MPs who attended the meeting said the DP went into a meeting with party leaders Justin Muturi (DP), Moses Wetang’ula (Ford Kenya), Musalia Mudavadi (ANC) and William Kabogo (Tujibebe).

Kuria of Chama Cha Kazi and The Service Party chairman Mwangi Kiunjuri also joined to help strike a deal on the running mate as MPs became impatient.

PAA leader Amason Kingi and Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua of Maendeleo Chap Chap were also involved.

It was this team that finally struck a deal and settled on Rigathi minutes past 6pm. Rigathi and Kindiki were then called in and informed of the decision by Ruto.

“It was Ruto who spoke as Kindiki and Rigathi listened pensively,” a source aware of the proceedings said. Kindiki remained composed but uneasy as the DP spoke, the source said.

The decision was later shared with the other MPs at around 9.30pm, including in their WhatsApp group. They were then asked to attend the unveiling ceremony on Sunday at the DP’s residence.

Kindiki would later drive out of the DP’s residence minutes past 10pm without uttering a word.

On Sunday, Ruto said Rigathi’s choice was arrived at after consensus-building meetings, describing the MP as the individual who “scored excellent points on every conceivable evaluative parameter”.

The DP said Rigathi was picked because he is an astute debater with prodigious persuasive ability, a fantastic grassroots mobiliser, a disciplined and tireless political operator.

“[He is] ...a living example of a true hustler who rose from the hardship of the aftermath of our freedom struggle to the pinnacle of professional, business and political success,” Ruto said of Rigathi.

Ruto said Rigathi was a successful elected politician and businessman, a principled politician of tremendous resilience and steely resolve.

“....a fearless fighter for the right causes, and an indefatigable champion of the betrayed, persecuted, downtrodden, the despised, the ignored and the marginalised,” he said.

[Gachagua is]a living example of a true hustler who rose from the hardship of the aftermath of our freedom struggle to the pinnacle of professional, business and political success ... he's a fearless fighter

However, revealing the disquiet in the DPs’ camp over the choice, Kindiki on Sunday skipped the announcement of Rigathi as Ruto’s running mate.

Ruto appeared to downplay Kindiki’s absence as he introduced Rigathi, opting to shower his lawyer with praise. He also alluded to Kindiki’s absence without offering any explanation.

“I want to thank my lawyer and friend Abraham Kithure Kindiki who became the runner up. Even though the current senator of Tharaka Nithi is not here with us now, he brought a lot of passion to this contest,” Ruto said.

The DP described the 17 hours as a marathon of intensive consultations, not just for the running mate position but also to integrate the other new partners into the bottom-up economic model.

“We agreed on how to share responsibilities and provided leadership on how the campaign programme will be coordinated to facilitate a Kenya Kwanza win in the first round,” Ruto said.

He said the agenda also included harmonising different policy positions of the alliance’s constituent parties to correspond to his Hustler Nation economic blueprint.

Ruto said among those who made it to the shortlist were Muturi, Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro and Kandara MP Alice Wahome.

The leaders declared their support for Rigathi, saying they will work with him unreservedly.

“We had robust and intensive consultations that leave no bitter grapes in anyone’s mouth. Everyone was satisfied knowing that they had a chance,” Muturi said.

(Edited by V. Graham)

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