Sifuna: Gachagua's Candidacy Only Helps ODM by Splitting Ruto's Support Base

 

 Nairobi Senator and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna has dismissed former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s presidential prospects, saying his involvement in the 2027 race only serves to weaken President William Ruto’s re-election bid.

Speaking during a press briefing on Tuesday, Sifuna stated that he sees no realistic pathway for Gachagua to ascend to the presidency, especially in the wake of his impeachment.

“Former DP Gachagua is impeached; he cannot run,” Sifuna asserted. “I don’t understand why people still speak of him as a viable candidate.”

The ODM secretary general argued that from his party’s strategic standpoint, Gachagua’s political maneuvers in the Mt Kenya region are inadvertently working in ODM’s favour.

“The value proposition for Gachagua, for me, from an ODM perspective, is that he is taking away votes that helped beat us in 2022,” Sifuna explained. “For as long as he is taking away votes from Ruto, I don’t care where he takes them — he is not giving them to William Ruto.”

Sifuna further suggested that if opposition leader Raila Odinga maintains his 2022 voter turnout and President Ruto loses a significant portion of Mt Kenya support, ODM would have a clear path to victory.

“If Raila Odinga were to get the exact same number of votes that he got in 2022 in 2027, and William Ruto loses Mt Kenya, Raila will be President,” he declared.

Gachagua, who has been at odds with President Ruto and has hinted at launching a separate political vehicle, continues to attract attention in the Mt Kenya region. His camp has maintained that he remains politically relevant and capable of influencing the 2027 race.

However, Sifuna’s remarks underscore ODM’s confidence in capitalizing on divisions within Kenya Kwanza ahead of the next general election.