Only I can unseat Ruto from presidency, Gachagua insists

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua/HANDOUT

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has insisted that he is the only opposition candidate who can unseat President William Ruto in the 2027 general elections.

Speaking during a tour of parts of the Mt Kenya region on Saturday, Gachagua said that he has accepted the call by Kenyans to serve the country in the capacity of president.

He went on to say that Kenyans know that he is the only one in the opposition with the ability to unseat President Ruto.

The former DP added that he had gone to seek the blessings of the people of Mt Kenya.

“I have come home to say that I have accepted to vie for the presidency of the Republic of Kenya. Kenyans have looked and said the only leader who has the ability to remove Ruto from office is Riggy G, and I have come home to seek your blessings,” Gachagua said.

This comes even as the opposition party leaders continue to deliberate on settling on one candidate to take on Ruto in 2027.

In the addresses he made during roadside stopovers, Gachagua who was accompanied by a host of leaders allied to his party, DCP, also made public his priority areas should he be elected into office.

Gachagua said his administration would prioritise restoring free education, a program he credited to the late President Mwai Kibaki.

He explained that many families continue to face challenges in meeting school-related expenses despite the government’s pledge of free basic education, and pledged to strengthen the policy.

“The first thing I will do if elected president is to ensure that our children truly access free education, as was introduced by the late Mwai Kibaki,” Gachagua said.

He added that his next priority would be reforms in the health sector, including reviving free maternity care to ease the burden on families and improve maternal and child health outcomes across the country.

Gachagua further declared his intention to abolish the housing levy introduced under the current administration, arguing that it has placed an unnecessary strain on taxpayers.

According to him, scrapping the levy would give Kenyans more breathing space in a tight economic environment.

“These are the burdens we must lift from Kenyans if we want a nation where citizens thrive,” he told the gathering.