“We will sit down with Riggy G, we deliberate and agree that if a man is a Presidential candidate in UDA then a woman must be a running mate going forward,” said President Ruto in a message with huge political impact.
Even before he has come to terms with the handshake between opposition leader Raila Odinga and his boss President Ruto, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has a fresh political bombshell to deal with – his seat is not assured in 2027.
President Ruto announced today that going forward. in his United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party when a man is the presidential candidate, a woman must the running mate – effectively locking out Riggy G from the race.
He tasked the UDA chairperson and Embu governor Cecil Mbarire to prepare the rules to ensure that when a man is presidential candidate a woman is the running mate and vice versa. He said it should also be cascaded to the gubernatorial race.
President Ruto spoke at Safari Park hotel in Nairobi where launched the strategy of the G7, a caucus that brings together the seven women governors in Kenya.
He said women are the cornerstone of the country’s politics, are drivers of change and agents of democratic governance, yet their active participation in Kenyas politics is limited and restricted and always dotted with obstacles.
And President Ruto being the suave politician he is, softened the ground for his current DP by saying that they will sit down with Gachagua and agree on the matter. This could only mean that the discussions will lead to Gachagua agreeing to drop from the race in favour of a woman.
Speculations are already rife that the space is being created for Kirinyaga governor Anne Waiguru who is serving her second term and who is the current chair of the Council of Governors.
The news of the President Ruto’s announcement spread quickly especially in Central Kenya – the home turf of DP Gachagua. His supporters appeared shocked by the latest developments coming shortly after the Raila handshake that Gachagua and other leaders from the region have opposed.
It also comes at a time when there have been sibling rivalries between DP Gachagua and Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro over who has the biggest influence in the region. This has forced Gachagua to go to the region to preach unity of Mt Kenya and castigating “enemies out to divide the region.”
