Rigathi Gachagua is the New King of Opposition – Prof. Herman Manyora Declares

 

By Brian Kiplimo 

 In a striking political assessment that has set tongues wagging across Kenya's political spectrum, renowned political analyst and University of Nairobi lecturer Prof. Herman Manyora has hailed Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua as the most dominant opposition figure in the country today.

Speaking during a televised interview on the evening of Monday, June 30, 2025, Prof. Manyora said Gachagua has eclipsed long-time opposition figure and ODM leader Raila Odinga, who has for decades been at the heart of anti-government politics in Kenya.

“Gachagua is the undisputed King of Opposition Politics,” Manyora declared. “He has replaced Raila as the man to watch when you are talking about opposition politics. He is the most influential and powerful. He knows how to deliver pain to President Ruto—and delivers it well.”

The political commentator, known for his sharp insights, underscored Gachagua’s ability to unsettle President William Ruto and described the former Deputy President as a tactical political operator with an unrelenting grip on his regional support base.

“Whether he will proceed and run for presidency, that is another conversation, and whether he proceeds and wins, that is also another different conversation,” Manyora said. “But in terms of his abilities to scare and give the president sleepless nights, he is doing that very well.”

Gachagua, who was formerly Ruto’s deputy before their dramatic political falling out, has in recent months positioned himself as the face of an emboldened opposition, particularly championing the interests of the Mt. Kenya region amid claims of political marginalization.

According to Manyora, Gachagua’s strategy of framing state actions as targeted efforts to isolate his community has gained traction, strengthening his political base and turning public opinion in his favor.

“The moment they were trying to isolate his people so that the rest of the country could be against the mountain, he swung into cousins, and today or yesterday I saw him swinging into mashemeji. He is beating them at their own game,” Manyora observed, referencing Gachagua's recent outreach to communities traditionally aligned with Mt. Kenya’s political rivals.

Just three days earlier, on June 27, Gachagua had reignited his public feud with President Ruto, accusing him of scapegoating former allies to mask his administration’s failings. The former Mathira MP insisted that he and other leaders recently sidelined by the Kenya Kwanza government were not rejected by the electorate, but by the president himself.

“We are not political rejects because the people of Kenya never rejected me. It’s William Ruto who rejected me,” Gachagua said during a separate media appearance. “Justin Muturi was not rejected by the people of Kenya. He was rejected by William Ruto. Mithika Linturi was rejected by William Ruto. It’s only William Ruto who rejected us.”

Gachagua’s fierce rhetoric and mounting popularity have fueled speculation about his 2027 presidential ambitions, though he has yet to formally declare his candidacy. Nonetheless, analysts say his resurgence signals a significant realignment in Kenya’s opposition politics—one that may reshape the country’s political narrative heading into the next general election.

As Raila Odinga shifts focus toward continental leadership within the African Union, and other opposition figures struggle to consolidate support, Gachagua’s emergence as a potent political adversary to President Ruto appears to be gaining legitimacy.

Whether this momentum will carry him to the ballot—or to State House—remains to be seen. But for now, as Prof. Manyora puts it, Rigathi Gachagua is the man giving the president sleepless nights.