Gachagua Unveils ‘Sauti Ya Mwananchi’ to Challenge Ruto

Impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has unveiled his new political formation after promising Kenyans in December. 

In a post on Friday, January 10, Gachagua revealed that his new political formation will be called ‘Sauti Ya Mwananchi’. This ends and anticipation from his supporters, who have been awaiting the major announcement of the formation of a new political party.

“We shall never gamble with our votes again,” Gachagua said in December. The revelation was made after a meeting with several leaders allied to him at his Wamunyoro home in Nyeri County. 

According to Gachagua, the leaders include elected governors, senators, MPs, and MCAs. Gachagua asserted that the team shared a plotted path for 2025.

Gachagua has been actively working to forge new political alliances within the Azimio la Umoja opposition coalition. 

Leaders present at the meeting are Senator Methu, Kirinyaga Women Rep Njeri Maina, Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga, MPs Onesmus Ngogoyo (Kajiado North), Mary Wamau (Maragua), Jayne Kihara (Naivasha), and Gathoni Wamuchomba (Githunguri).

The others include former Laikipia County Women Representative Cate Waruguru.

Yesterday, Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo intimated that the Wiper Party will merge ties with Gachagua in the 2027 election contest.

Maanzo, who is among Wiper’s top leaders in Parliament, claimed that there is a possible split between Wiper and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party.

“Wiper will form an alliance with Rigathi Gachagua. We will form a big alliance, which will form 50+1 [in] round one,” he said speaking on Citizen TV.

Gachagua is yet to declare who he will back in the 2027 polls. As things stand, he cannot contest for the presidency following his impeachment. However, the outcome of his petitions filed in court could determine whether or not he is on the ballot.

The new political formation, many of whom are elected leaders through President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA), will be tasked with poking holes in the government’s agenda. It remains unclear whether this team will employ Ruto’s playbook after the 2017 polls, which saw him clinch the State House. 

Ruto has already begun strategising to cab Gachagua’s grip of the mountain. These include tapping into Deputy President Kithure Kindiki to pacify the region, organising meetings with various stakeholders to address key issues in the region, and rolling out plans for the economic revitalisation of the region. 

The Head of State has also made good with the former president Uhuru Kenyatta appointing his allies into the Cabinet, and the Maina Njenga factor, a new-found ally of the government.