Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has said that he has nothing to lose if the High Court rules against him on June 8, 2026 in the case challenging his impeachment in 2024, as his path to State House would remain open.
Judges Eric Ogola, Frida Mugambi and Anthony Mrima are expected to rule on whether Mr Gachagua was impeached in accordance with the Constitution.
If the court rules that he was unfairly removed from office, it could have significant implications for the succession politics ahead of the August polls next year, potentially giving him more influence as a kingmaker or king, if he chooses to.
Mr Gachagua was impeached in October 2024, after serving as President William Ruto’s deputy for two years. This was a move driven mainly by MPs and senators from the Mt Kenya region.
Mr Gachagua was found guilty on five of the 11 counts brought against him by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse, with the ruling United Democratic Alliance Party, the Orange Democratic Movement and the Jubilee Party joining forces to impeach him.
Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua.
The impeachment changed the political landscape of the country, with the Mt Kenya region — which had overwhelmingly voted for Dr Ruto in the 2022 general election — rebelling and assuming the role of opposition, even when President Ruto attempted to appease them by appointing Prof Kithure Kindiki as deputy president.
President Ruto responded by reaching out to the opposition, led by the late Raila Odinga, whom he had narrowly defeated, and incorporating them into the government to form a broad-based administration, thereby stabilising his authority and mandate.
Should the three judges agree that Gachagua was constitutionally impeached; the respondents in his case say they will move to the Court of Appeal, and they will take the case to the Supreme Court if necessary. The same applies to Mr Gachagua, defining the long journey that lies ahead before the court case is settled.
Mr Gachagua on Thursday urged his supporters to remain peaceful and optimistic that all will be well on Monday “but even if it does not turn out as expected, we still got wriggling space in my presidential ambition”.
Speaking on Inooro TV, Mr Gachagua said that his road to the presidency remained alive as long as he has a court case challenging the impeachment.
“The law is very clear that as long as I have a live case challenging the impeachment, I remain eligible to vie for public office. The ruling that we are waiting for on Monday is at the High Court,” he said.
He urged his supporters to pray for him and hope for the best “but even if it will not be well with us, we still have the options of moving to the appellate court and the Supreme Court”.
However, should he exhaust the court avenues to clear his name, Mr Gachagua, who has since formed the Democracy for Citizens Party to mark a novel rise from grass, said it would not be the end of the road. “It is not a must that I lead while in an elected office; I can still do it from my Wamunyoro home, exactly what I have been doing since they hounded me out of office.”
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua at Milimani Law Courts on May 13, 2026 for the hearing of his legal challenge against his 2024 impeachment.
Mr Gachagua said much the more he would love to see the impeachment’s grinding stone removed from his neck, “it is not exactly a matter to distract us from the ultimate goal of liberating this country from the precincts of Wamunyoro”.
He said he only needs to convince his supporters, especially in Mt Kenya region to vote for DCP sponsored candidates in the 2027 General Elections “so that we can have numbers that can faithfully advance our interests in both the national and county governments”.
He said the Mt Kenya region is in a political quagmire owing to the 2022 mistake of going to vote without an own special purpose vehicle as well as without a pre-election pact with Dr Ruto.
“That is the reason why it was easy to dethrone me and have most of our elected leaders pledge loyalty to those working against our interests as a community and as a region. If we correct that mistake and insist on a single political party to sponsor elected leaders to power, we will be safe from the ballot mistake that is consuming us today,” he said.
Mr Gachagua reiterated his commitment to the opposition cause and push for a joint single candidate to face off with President Ruto in the 2027 duel.
“If it will not be me…and it turns out that my sister Martha Karua or my cousins Edwin Sifuna, Fred Matiang’i, Kalonzo Musyoka, George Natembeya, Eugene Wamalwa…I will be good to submit,” he said.
He said that he and other united opposition principals were ready to accept the 2027 results “as long as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) guarantees us a sane process…we won’t fancy a situation that will overwhelm our supporters with dissent emotions”.
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