Kick out Ruto and Sakaja in 2027, Gachagua tells city residents

President William Ruto is served lunch by Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja at Toi Primary School under the Dishi Na County programme in Kibra Constituency. [File, Standard]

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Thursday stormed Nairobi’s central business district, where he campaigned against President William Ruto and Governor Johnson Sakaja.

Dismissing Ruto’s “Singapore dream” as a narrative meant to mask the failures of the bottom-up economic agenda, Gachagua urged residents to respond with laughter whenever the President attempts to sell it to them.

He claimed that instead of putting more money in people’s pockets, Ruto had taken away the little Kenyans had and presided over massive looting to the detriment of ordinary citizens.

“I have come to say sorry because I campaigned here in Nairobi for Ruto. He hoodwinked me into believing that he was keen on implementing his promises. He has done the complete opposite of his pledges and for that reason we must send him home in next year’s General Election,” Gachagua said.

He also accused Sakaja of impoverishing city residents by reneging on the promises he made during the 2022 election, urging voters to kick him out.

“Time will present itself next year when we must rectify that by voting out Sakaja and electing our Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) aspirants, who are the people’s choice,” he said.

He added: “Nairobi City County must be re-imagined anew. Traders in Marikiti, Starehe Constituency, have borne the brunt of hostility from the county government for too long. They deserve better services for their taxes.”

Gachagua urged his supporters to join the DCP to give it the strength to negotiate for power and positions with other Opposition parties.

He reiterated that he remains in the presidential race and promised to restore free primary education, Linda Mama and the National Health Insurance Fund, among other policies that he accused Ruto of abandoning and replacing with ineffective programmes.

He expressed confidence that the Opposition would weather the storm and approach the General Election as a united front, fielding one presidential candidate to challenge Ruto.

“Our team of Kalonzo Musyoka, Fred Matiang’i, Eugene Wamalwa, Martha Karua, Justin Muturi, among others, is determined to remain united and agree on one presidential candidate who will send Ruto home,” he said.

He was accompanied by MPs Benjamin Gathiru (Embakasi Central), James Gakuya (Embakasi North) and Amos Mwago (Starehe), as well as former Planning PS Irungu Nyakera.