Gachagua proposes 'hyenas coalition' to beat Ruto following Duale slur
Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua.
What you need to know:
- The reference to hyenas follows recent remarks attributed to Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale.
- Mr Gachagua said he is committed to form a ‘hyenas brotherhood’ with over 8 million voters.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has told opposition leaders they must ‘hunt as one pack’ if they want to win in 2027, likening a united front to hyenas that bring down bigger prey by working together.
Speaking in Nairobi, the DCP leader said the opposition’s survival depends on dropping individual ambitions and forming what he called a "hyena coalition".
"One hyena gets chased away. Ten hyenas together take down a lion. That’s politics in 2027," Mr Gachagua said.
The reference to hyenas follows a recent remark attributed to Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale in which he allegedly compared members of a certain community to hyenas.
"We cannot afford to go to the ballot as five presidential candidates and then complain about rigging. We must have one candidate, one message, one pack," Gachagua said.
He specifically cited the Mt Kenya region where he said he is committed to form a ‘hyenas brotherhood’ with over 8 million voters.
Mr Gachagua’s push comes against the background of scramble for the Mt Kenya vote amid accusation that he is playing gatekeeping politics against some of his colleagues in the opposition.
Former Meru governor Mr Peter Munya, Democratic Party boss Mr Justin Muturi and former Embu Senator Mr Lenny Kivuti have since complained of Mr Gachagua being condescending and demeaning in the way he is carrying himself as the main Mt Kenya gatekeeper.
They said Mr Gachagua believes in a dictatorial one-party rule and that given a chance, he would make the Mountain region an example of undemocratic politics.
The Jubilee Party has also accused Mr Gachagua of being an impediment to opposition unity by applying alleged guerilla tactics in winning over the mountain while locking out other hopefuls.
But Mr Gachagua has hit back saying instead of complaining, the parties should market themselves and their ambitions while waiting to converge at the joint search for a unifying presidential candidate.
He maintained that the opposition supporters should not feel jittery that it is taking too long to name a presidential candidate.
Mr Gachagua argued that announcing a flag bearer early only plays into the hands of government operatives to target them.
"Let’s first unite, do the ground, then unveil our person closer to 2027. When we are united but without a named candidate, we are safer," he said.
He insisted that he has the "capacity, infrastructure and networks" to run, but says he’ll back whoever the coalition picks.
For Mr Gachagua, the "hyena pact" is about survival math. He said 2027 is not about who feels entitled "but it is about whether we want change badly enough to hunt together."
Opposition leaders have maintained that they are unity, but are yet to settle on one candidate to face President Ruto at the ballot.
Potential candidates for the presidency within the opposition ranks include Kalonzo Musyoka, Fred Matiang’i, Martha Karua, Edwin Sifuna, Eugene Wamalwa, Gachagua, David Maraga and George Natembeya.
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