Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has fired back at ODM party leader Dr. Oburu Odinga, who declared last weekend that he cannot work with Gachagua ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Oburu, speaking last weekend, said he cannot align himself with Gachagua, the Democracy for Citizens Party leader, whom he described as a tribal bigot whose primary agenda is to divide Kenyans.
He further stated that the Orange party would be open to working with President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance and other like-minded parties, but drew a firm line at any cooperation with Gachagua’s UDA.
Gachagua, however, was equally unmoved. Appearing on Inooro TV on Thursday morning and speaking in Kikuyu, the former Deputy President said he welcomed Oburu’s remarks and made it clear that the feeling was mutual, insisting that Oburu has nothing meaningful to offer the people of Kenya.
“I overheard Dr. Oburu Oginga alleging that he cannot work with me. From the way he said it, even uttering the sentence seemed like a difficult task for him. He looked tired. As for me, I am equally not interested in working with a tired person like him,” Gachagua said.
Gachagua went on to suggest that the opposition has an easy path to victory in 2027, pointing out that Ruto’s decision to lean on Oburu to mobilize votes in ODM strongholds is a sign of desperation rather than strength.
He argued that banking on a tired and worn-out figure to deliver critical votes ahead of a highly contested election reflects poorly on the direction of the ruling side.
The back and forth between the two signals the early but intensifying battle lines being drawn as the country edges closer to the 2027 general election.
