Azimio leader Raila Odinga’s bromance with his former arch-rival President William Ruto is blamed for the widening rift between the head of state and his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua.
Ruto and Gachagua for weeks have been engaged in high-octane political combat in which the DP has twice failing to welcome his boss at the airport, a glaring lapse in protocol.
In an expression of rage, the DP has been going flat out to reawaken his Mt Kenya political bastions, telling them about his frustrations in two years in Kenya Kwanza government
The second in-command is increasingly uncomfortable with his boss’s friendly association with Raila Odinga, the opposition chief. He confessed that the Mt Kenya region’s vote for Ruto in the last elections was based on loathing for Raila who was fronted by then-President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The feeling in the DP’s camp is that Raila is increasingly becoming influential in Ruto’s administration – a government in which the DP delivered close to half the 7.1 million votes Ruto got.
The relationship between Raila and Ruto has been so cordial that the former PM represented the state during the funeral service of Malawi’s vice-president on Sunday.
“I come here with a very deep heart and I speak on behalf of the people of Kenya. First, I want to convey the condolences from the President of Kenya, His Excellency William Ruto," Raila said confirming his new friendship with the government.
DP Gachagua had declared several times that he has put up 24-hour surveillance at State House to ensure the veteran opposition chief does not find his way into the government.
It is also interesting the war of words between Ruto and Rigathi started immediately the former ODM Pentagon members came together.
According to political analyst Martin Andati, the new-found camaraderie between Ruto and Raila has not only left Rigathi isolated but is also the reason for his recent outbursts against his boss.
“Yes, the arrival of Raila is what pushed Rigathi out,” Andati said on phone.
“They (Ruto and his deputy) had their issues and suspicions – both Ruto, and Rigathi’s personalities are the same; both are strong-headed, hence, there were bound to be issues but they had not come out in the open, until Raila exacerbated that rift.”
According to the analyst, Raila’s numbers are also a thorn in Rigathi’s flesh, especially should the President make good his words that in the future women should be considered as running mates in future polls.
In a bold confession last week, the DP invoked Raila’s name, saying he is the reason he led Mt Kenya to rebel against President Uhuru Kenyatta who was fronting the opposition chief.
He further cited Raila's current relationship with President Ruto as the reason why he closed ranks with Kenyatta.
He said Uhuru's only fault was to endorse Raila ahead of the 2022 election but given that Ruto has reconciled with the ODM leader, he has no reason to resent the former President.
“We hated our son Uhuru Kenyatta and the only mistakes he made was to build roads and provide water for Kenyans, but we hated him and fought him because of his handshake with Raila Odinga,” Gachagua said.
The DP made the remarks during a rally at Kagio town in Kirinyaga county on June 15.
“Our President reconciled with Raila Odinga and I said I'll be a fool if Raila, the core reason we fought Uhuru, reconciled with Uhuru [and] has also reconciled with President Ruto. That is why I reached out to Uhuru, our son, and he deserves respect so that we work together.”
Apart from the Kirinyaga confessions, the DP has on several occasions been on apology tour to Uhuru, expressing willingness to work with former President for the sake of Mt Kenya unity.
Ruto and Raila have of late become political buddies after the government endorsed the former Prime Minister’s continental ambition to chair the African Union Commission.
Observers are now reading the Raila factor in the growing bad blood between the President and his Deputy who has demanded several times that the ODM boss be kept away from the center of power.
Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo agrees that Odinga's perceived help from the government has caused divisions in the Executive arm.
Maanzo claims the issue has caused jitters in the DP’s camp who view it as a ploy to thwart Gachagua and complicate his political arithmetic.
"The perception that the government is helping Raila in his AUC chairmanship has annoyed DP Gachagua and some of his people. The President has already given notice that his running mate could be a woman," he told the Star.
Suba South MP Millie Odhiambo, sharing on her social media platform, likened the developments to strong Railaphobia.
“You get your own government and fail to enjoy it because of the phobia. Self-sabotage because of deep-seated and unfounded hatred,” Millie posted.
But political commentator Mark Bikachi said the whole drama of Raila’s arrival and Ruto and Rigathi falling out is pure coincidence.
“Ruto versus Rigathi has nothing to do with Raila and his bid for the AU job; coincidence is not causation. Rigathi finds himself in the doldrums simply because he came into office without a base,” Bikachi told the Star.
“He (Gachgua) does not represent Mt Kenya, nor hustlers nor villagers nor the young nor the old. He is a man who was chosen by Ruto to fill a gap [as an axe man] and disappear into the shadows.”
“Unfortunately, though, the permanence of the deputy position means that deputies both in gubernatorial or presidential settings have enough resources, power and time to dream big, and still develop the big head that helps them nurture such dreams, hence, the rebellion.”
Bikachi also denied claims that the whole Ruto, Raila affinity is choreographed to frustrate the DP.
“Raila, on the other hand, has no problem. He simply wants a job to retire to. He apparently has retired from being the people’s tear gas eater, and has given up that matter to young people who know how to use social media enough to cause the biggest and most widespread demonstrations in Kenyan history,” he said.
