By: Victor Abuso
With political realignment taking shape in Kenya ahead of the 2027 General elections, the most awaited public political handshake between former President Uhuru Kenyatta and his fierce critic, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is awaited and is likely to develop into a new political alliance aimed at stopping President William Ruto’s re-election bid.
Veteran politician and Wiper Patriotic Front party leader, Kalonzo Musyoka is reportedly to have led the behind-the-scenes consultations, and also engaged former Nigerian leader Olusegun Obasanjo to facilitate and broker the reconciliation deal between Uhuru and Gachagua.
On February 3, Cleophas Malala, Gachagua’s deputy in his Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) outfit, in an interview with TV47, confirmed that the two political influential leaders, who hail from the voter-rich Mount Kenya region, are already engaging behind the scenes.
“Rigathi Gachagua and Uhuru Kenyatta are already working together, to protect Kenyans, against Ruto’s rule,” Malala said, adding that it was just a matter of time before the official and public reconciliation takes place.
Lately in political rallies, Gachagua has been stating and admitting that he and Uhuru are to blame for making William Ruto popular in Mt Kenya, in 2022 and are now coming together now to work against Ruto.
Prior to this political development, there were reports circulating on social media, that Uhuru had asked Gachagua to organize a major political meeting, aimed at uniting political leaders across the Mt Kenya region, and consolidate their vote, which the former leader refutes.
However, Uhuru’s Secretary of Communication Kanze Dena released a public statement, saying the information was “false and misleading to the public”.
In November 2025, Uhuru cautioned leaders within his Jubilee Party, led by the then Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni, who was recently removed from the powerful position and appointed as deputy Party leader, against hurling insults at Gachagua, a move described as sign by the two leaders closing their political ranks.
Consolidating Mt. Kenya voting block again
The voter-rich region faces unity test, after splitting into two voting blocs, Mt Kenya East political stronghold of Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Ruto’s ally and Mt Kenya West, led by Gachagua, whose DCP party is in the united opposition.
Political analyst, Brian Wanyama, tells The Africa report that, with a high possibility of more than six million voters not likely to vote for a single presidential candidate, the opposition is seeking the unity of the mountain to defeat Ruto.
“Mt. Kenya voters still respect and regard Uhuru as the region’s political kingpin” despite not actively being involved in politics and not supporting Raila in 2022.
Additionally, Wanyama believes that with the changing political patterns and realignments, the former leader is now regarded as the “big brother politically” among opposition leaders with influence.
He adds that Uhuru and Gachagua working quietly to consolidate Mt Kenya vote sends a political message that the former is with no doubt “emerging as potential kingmaker” ahead of 2027 polls.
Coalition to send Ruto home
To signal his political influence beyond Mount Kenya, Uhuru as the chairperson of the opposition coalition Azimio la Umoja, has appointed Kalonzo as the new Coalition Party leader, despite endorsing his former Interior, Fred Matiang’i from his Jubilee Party as his preferred Presidential candidate.
Nairobi based Political analyst Martin Andati tells The Africa Report that, Gachagua-Uhuru reconciliation is also meant to strengthen the Azimio coalition, which seems to be weakening after Orange Democratic Movement-ODM the largest opposition party warming up to support Ruto.
“In politics, there are no permanent enemies or friends. Despite their ideological differences, they are coming together to block Ruto,” Andati says, adding that the political handshake is being pushed because of political interests between the two leaders.
“Uhuru and Gachagua ordinarily can’t work together, but for the sake of defeating Ruto, they are forced to unite,” Andati adds.
The former leader has described Gachagua as a selfish tribal politician, whose politics is not beyond Mount Kenya. On his part, Gachagua has been seeing Uhuru as a failed former leader, who left Kenya’s leadership in 2022 in a dilapidated economic state.
Uhuru-Gachagua history of Bittersweet relationship
The evolution of Uhuru-Gachagua political closeness can be described as a love-hate relationship that turned sour, leading to the run of the 2022 Presidential election. The two had different political interests, which led to their fallout.
Gachagua was once Uhuru’s personal assistant between 2001-2006. He supported the incumbent President Ruto, while the former President backed the late Raila Odinga as his preferred successor.
The bitter fallout turned personal when Gachagua was in the Deputy President position, without providing evidence. Gachagua publicly attacked Uhuru as a corrupt leader who enabled his family to loot public resources.
Gachagua also was under heavy criticism for inciting youths to invade Uhuru’s linked Northlands farm in March 2023, in Ruiru, North of the capital due to political differences, claiming that the Kenyatta family had grabbed public land.
Analysts say their personal differences were purely political, struggling to influence the voters in the populous Mount Kenya region, whose unity is now threatened ahead of 2027 polls.
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