On Monday, Gachagua insisted that he has the best chance to defeat Ruto in 2027.
ODM Secretary General and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has said former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is not eligible to contest any political office, including the presidency, since he was impeached.
Speaking on Citizen TV, Sifuna said the Constitution of Kenya bars an impeached person from being cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to run for office.
“Former DP Gachagua is impeached; he can’t run. I don’t understand why people consider him a candidate. The constitution says once you are impeached you can’t run,” Sifuna said.
ODM Sees Gachagua as a Game Changer
Sifuna also said Gachagua’s presence in politics benefits the opposition, arguing that the former Deputy President is taking away votes from President William Ruto, especially in the vote-rich Mt. Kenya region.
He said Gachagua’s breakaway appeal could reverse the tide that helped Ruto beat ODM leader Raila Odinga in 2022.
“The value proposition for Gachagua for me, from an ODM perspective, is that he is taking away votes that helped beat us in 2022. As long as he is taking away votes from Ruto, I don’t care where he takes them; he is not giving William Ruto,” Sifuna said.
Sifuna added that if Raila were to retain his 2022 support base and Gachagua splits the Mt. Kenya vote, Raila Odinga would have a real shot at winning 2027.
“I still believe ODM has the best chance. If Raila Odinga were to get the same number of votes he got in 2022 in 2027 and William Ruto loses Mt. Kenya, Raila will be the President. That’s how I see it,” Sifuna said.
Gachagua: I’m a Front Runner, But Will Step Aside if NeededSifuna’s comments followed Gachagua’s own statement during his US tour that he is a front runner in the 2027 presidential race. However, Gachagua also said he would step aside if needed.
Malala Disputes Disqualification Claims
In a separate interview, DCP Deputy Party Leader Cleophas Malala disputed claims that Gachagua is constitutionally barred from contesting. Malala clarified that Gachagua’s impeachment is still under judicial review, and no final determination has been made by the courts.
“As it stands, Rigathi Gachagua qualifies to run for any office. Until he is proven guilty and has exhausted all appeal mechanisms, he still enjoys the rights, just like any other Kenyan, to vie for any office,” Malala explained.
According to Malala, any bar on Gachagua’s candidacy can only be enforced if the court upholds the impeachment process as constitutional and final.
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Legal Ambiguity and Political Consequences
The contrasting positions between Sifuna and Malala highlight a legal grey area surrounding Gachagua’s impeachment status. While ODM insists that constitutional disqualification is already in effect, the Kenya Kwanza wing argues that due process has not been exhausted, making Gachagua’s candidacy legally viable for now.
The debate is likely to intensify as the country inches closer to the 2027 General Election, with questions surrounding eligibility, electoral reforms, and opposition unity dominating Kenya’s political discourse.
On Monday, Gachagua insisted that he has the best chance to defeat Ruto in 2027.
