NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 20 – Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has disclosed plans to travel to London for what he termed a short trip without disclosing his itinerary.
Gachagua, who leads the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), offered limited details about the visit, saying only that he needed time abroad to organise a few things and prepare for upcoming political engagements.
“I am rushing to London for a short while to organise a few things. I will be looking for fuel and other things; you know that I must prepare myself,” he stated.
The DCP Leader intimated that the London trip was aimed at mobilizing resources to finance his campaigns which is gaining momentum ahead of the 2027 polls.
Gachagua accused President William Ruto of undermining the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), claiming internal tensions within the party were the result of a failed political arrangement rather than disagreements over electoral zoning.
He alleged that senior ODM figures including Oburu Oginga, Gladys Wanga(Homabay Governor) and Junet Mohamed (Suna East MP) had entered into an undisclosed pact with President Ruto, which he claimed had since soured.
According to Gachagua, the trio’s recent criticism of the government stemmed from unmet expectations tied to that alleged arrangement.
He further claimed there had been attempts to influence leadership changes within ODM as part of the deal allegations he did not substantiate.
The DCP leader also expressed rare regret over his political choices during the 2022 election, suggesting that, in hindsight, supporting opposition leader Raila Odinga might have yielded a different outcome for the country.
“Looking back, the country may have taken a different path,” he said.
The remarks were made during the unveiling of John Mwaura as the party’s preferred candidate for the Kiambu gubernatorial race.
Gachagua said his party would field candidates across the country under its Skiza Ground strategy, with the exception of Nairobi and Mombasa, where he indicated broader opposition consultations would determine joint candidates.
He noted that talks were ongoing within the emerging opposition coalition to agree on a unified approach to avoid splitting votes in key races, saying consensus would guide which party fields candidates in various constituencies.