Senator Nyutu to Raila: Do not share table with Ruto
By Ascah Mwango, March 2, 2025Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu has urged ODM boss Raila Odinga not to align himself with President William Ruto and his administration.
Speaking on Sunday, February 2, 2025, Nyutu warned Raila against joining forces with the president, citing concerns over past betrayals and the ongoing political landscape.
Nyutu claimed that President Ruto could not be trusted and pointed to his treatment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua as an example. He stated that if Ruto could turn his back on Gachagua despite the former DP delivering over five million votes for him, Raila should be wary of suffering the same fate.
The senator, who has been a staunch supporter of Gachagua, emphasized that whether Raila chooses to join them or not, the main goal remains to remove Ruto from office.
He insisted that the opposition should not engage with the president, whom he accused of having the blood of Gen Z on his hands.
“Tushikane pamoja na Rigathi Gachagua huyu jamaa tumuondoe. For Raila Odinga, amesema atatangaza msimamo wake wiki ijayo. Raila please, you cannot share a meal with somebody who has the blood of Gen Z on his hands. Raila cannot sit at the same table with Ruto. If Ruto could con Gachagua after he brought him 5 million votes, what about Raila? Whether Raila joins us or not, that is okay, but one thing we have decided is we must take Ruto home,” Nyutu declared.
Learning from Gachagua
Recently, Nyutu claimed that the former Deputy President had greater popularity than both President Ruto and his Deputy, Kithure Kindiki. During an interview with a local TV station on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, Nyutu argued that despite Gachagua’s impeachment, his influence remains unmatched in Mount Kenya.
He highlighted Gachagua’s frequent public engagements and strong grassroots support as evidence of his dominance in the region. According to Nyutu, Gachagua’s political rallies continue to attract massive crowds, overshadowing those of President Ruto and Deputy President Kindiki.
To support his argument, Nyutu challenged critics to compare attendance figures at Gachagua’s events with those of the president and his deputy. He asserted that numbers do not lie and that Gachagua remains a powerful force in Kenyan politics.
Nyutu also claimed that Raila Odinga is borrowing political strategies from Rigathi Gachagua. He linked Raila’s recent visit to Nyanza to Gachagua’s grassroots consultation efforts, suggesting that the ODM leader is taking cues from the former DP on engaging with his base before making a major political decision.
He noted that Raila, after his unsuccessful bid to become the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), had turned to consultations similar to those Gachagua has been conducting in his home region. This, according to Nyutu, is a testament to Gachagua’s political influence, even outside Mount Kenya.
“Raila’s following cannot match Rigathi Gachagua’s. Yesterday, Raila took a lesson from Gachagua. Gachagua has been consulting in Wamunyoro. Yesterday, Raila Odinga took the lesson from Gachagua. He started doing consultations in Nyanza just the way Gachagua does with his people. He started in Nyanza, where he comes from, for him to decide whether to join Ruto or not,” he noted.
The senator dismissed any suggestions that Gachagua was merely seeking political relevance, insisting that his strong following proves otherwise. He maintained that the former DP is a key player in the country’s political landscape and should not be underestimated.
“This is a man you cannot dismiss as a joker. This is a man Raila is learning from and copying. Check every Sunday the functions that Gachagua attends, check the following he gets, and compare with the man you are supporting, President Ruto and Deputy President Kindiki. The numbers do not lie. Rigathi Gachagua is not a man you can simply dismiss as a joker. He is not looking for relevance. He already has it,” Nyutu added.