Gachagua: Ruto’s running mate pick will be his greatest setback
By Kenneth Mwenda, May 21, 2026Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has claimed that President William Ruto faces his biggest political crisis yet as he struggles to find a running mate ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Speaking during an interview in the UK on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, Gachagua accused Ruto of using him to win power in 2022 before pushing him aside once he entered the State House. According to Gachagua, that decision created a trust problem that now makes it difficult for Ruto to attract a strong deputy candidate.
“He wanted me as a running mate, but he didn’t want me as his deputy,” Gachagua said. “He wanted me as a guy to mobilise numbers. Thereafter, become a flower girl.”
Gachagua said Ruto picked him because of the political influence he carried in the Mount Kenya region. However, he claimed the president became uncomfortable with having an independent deputy who could challenge decisions inside government.
“He knew I’m a strong guy, and he didn’t want anybody strong,” Gachagua said. “He didn’t want somebody who is an independent thinker and somebody who can stand his ground and say this is wrong and this is right.”
The former deputy president claimed he refused to stay silent after the election victory, forcing Ruto to remove him and replace him with someone more loyal.
“I couldn’t be a flower girl,” he said. “So he had to get rid of me and get a flower girl.”
Gachagua argued that the fallout damaged Ruto politically because potential allies now fear betrayal. He said many leaders question whether the president can be trusted to honour political agreements.
“When you pick a running mate, you misuse him to get your numbers. When you are set for the presidency, you get rid of him,” he said. “He has a serious trust deficit.”
Ruto’s running mate dilemma
According to Gachagua, Ruto has now started reaching out to several leaders at the same time in search of support. He claimed that the president has promised the deputy president position to multiple figures, including Gladys Wanga, Oburu Odinga, Anne Waiguru, John Mbadi and Kithure Kindiki, among others.
“He is promising everybody as he’s looking for numbers,” Gachagua claimed. “He’s lost. He doesn’t know what to do.”
Gachagua said the challenge facing Ruto is simple. Any serious running mate must bring a large voting bloc. He pointed to Ruto’s own rise under former President Uhuru Kenyatta, saying Ruto carried millions of votes from the Rift Valley when he became deputy president in 2013.
“That is how he became running mate to President Uhuru Kenyatta,” Gachagua said. “He had a serious number of about 2.5 million votes.”
He also dismissed claims that support linked to the late Raila Odinga can automatically shift to Ruto through other leaders.
“The loyalty of the Luo nation to Raila Odinga cannot be transferred to Oburu Odinga and for him to transfer to William Ruto,” he said. “That is very difficult.”
“And I can tell you from where I sit as a political scientist, the peak running mate for William Ruto will be his Waterloo. Whatever, if he does, he’s dumped. If he doesn’t, he’s dumped. If he drops Kindiki, he will have a problem with the little support that was remaining in the mountain. If he gives to him and denies the Luo nation, they are gone. If he doesn’t give him Musalia, they are gone. It’s a difficult thing.”
Gachagua compared Ruto’s current situation to former President Daniel arap Moi in 1997, after Moi dropped George Saitoti as vice president and struggled to balance regional interests before eventually bringing him back.
“Whatever he does, he’s doomed,” Gachagua said. “Getting a running mate who can mobilise serious numbers is not a walk in the park.”
The former deputy president also confirmed that he is considering his own presidential bid and is already weighing possible running mates based on compatibility and voting strength.
“For me to be president, I need 50 plus one,” he said. “I need a very serious running mate with serious numbers.”