Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua continues to strategise for his 2027 presidential bid, with his latest strategy being storming some of the late Raila Odinga's traditional bases.
Saturday, August 8, Gachagua toured Kajiado County, where he met Maa voters and made a direct appeal to them to transfer the political loyalty they held for Raila to him.
Speaking to residents, the former deputy president opened with a scathing self-critique of his past alliance with President William Ruto, accusing him of selling Kenyans an empty campaign promise during the 2022 election.
"We were misled and confused; William Ruto convinced us that a wheelbarrow could take us anywhere. At times I blame myself so much that I lose sleep, furious that as a political science student I could fall for such lies and believe in his wheelbarrow agenda," Gachagua said.
Read More
He contrasted that regret with what he described as the Maa community's political discernment, noting that the region had instead thrown its weight behind Raila.
Gachagua used the moment to formally request that the community extend the same allegiance to him.
"Yet the Maa community saw through his (Ruto's) lies; you stood with the late Raila Odinga, and now that he has departed, may he rest in peace, I ask you to extend that same loyalty to me. I pledge to fight for your rights, and once I take office, every parcel of land unjustly taken from the Maasai will be restored," Gachagua said.
The remarks amount to an open bid to inherit the Maa vote bloc ahead of the 2027 general election, with land justice for the Maasai community emerging as a central plank of his pitch during the Kajiado tour.
The Maa vote base had traditionally been behind Raila until recently, when they opted to chart their own paths out of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party.
-1786254009.jpg)
