Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Youth League stalwart Kasmuel McOure has blasted former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua that he is not an option for Kenya’s future leadership.

The comments, made during a wide-ranging discussion on 2027 succession politics and youth involvement on Friday, May 23, 2025, underscored deepening political polarization and the intensifying shadow campaign season.

“I’m here to tell you that Rigathi Gachagua is not an option,” McOure stated emphatically, as the panel turned to the question of Kenya Kwanza’s internal dynamics and potential presidential hopefuls.

“Even if you call me a government project, I have told you I’m a project of Raila Odinga and ODM, but Rigathi is not an option for this country.”

McOure, an emerging voice within Kenya’s political youth landscape, did not mince words. With the 2027 contest still over two years away, his utterances point to an early start in succession battles, particularly within the ruling Kenya Kwanza coalition, where speculation about President William Ruto’s possible endorsement and Gachagua’s future role is growing.

“Look, there’s a reason young people are angry,” McOure continued. “They’re looking at leaders like Gachagua and asking — is this the best we can do? Is this the future of our nation? And my answer is no.”

“You can take this as my personal conviction, but make no mistake. I do not see Gachagua as the future of Kenya. The kind of divisive politics he represents, the ethnic mobilization, the tribal arithmetic—we’ve outgrown that as a country.”

McOure embraces project label

In an unusually forthright moment, McOure addressed criticism that he is being used by powerful figures within the opposition to attack rivals.

“People call me a project like it’s a bad thing,” he said with a smile. “I am a project. I’m a project of Raila Odinga. I’m a project of the Orange Democratic Movement. But I’m also a project of a generation that wants better, that refuses to accept mediocrity in leadership.”

Gachagua, who has fashioned himself as a champion of the mountain region and an unapologetic anti-Ruto critic, has often drawn criticism for his rhetoric. His speeches frequently invoke ethnic solidarity and historical grievances, a style that some in the opposition see as retrogressive.

“We cannot continue having leaders who think politics is about who you were born to or which village you come from,” he said. “Kenya needs leaders who think in terms of national unity, equity, and the future — not just loyalty to yesterday’s tribe or yesterday’s war.”

2027 battle lines forming

While President Ruto has publicly endorsed his reelection plan, within the broad-based arrangement, however, there is a sense of urgency to preemptively frame the 2027 debate as one between inclusivity and ethnic nationalism.

“What I’m saying is not just anti-Gachagua,” McOure clarified. “It’s pro-Kenya. We can’t afford to go backwards. We can’t be stuck in old political games when the youth are crying out for jobs, for fairness, for real change.”

Asked about who the alternative should be, McOure stuck to his party line: “Our alternative is Raila Odinga’s vision. Whether he runs or not, it’s his legacy of justice, equity, and Pan-African leadership that we believe in.”