Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has hit back at Democratic Party (DP) leader Justin Muturi, questioning his criticism of the opposition’s political strategy and his claims about building support to defeat President William Ruto.
Gachagua challenged Muturi to demonstrate his own ability to mobilise voters, citing an MCA contest in Evurore in which he claimed a DP candidate secured only 35 votes against 238 garnered by a candidate associated with Ruto’s camp.
The Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader questioned how Muturi could lecture him about electoral numbers when, according to Gachagua, his own party had struggled to mobilise voters at his home polling station.
Gachagua made the remarks on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, during a meeting at his Wamunyoro residence in Nyeri, while responding to criticism from Muturi and Jubilee Party leader Fred Matiang’i, who had accused him of undermining opposition unity and pursuing a divisive political approach.
“And you want to lecture Riggy G about numbers? How? If you cannot deliver your polling station hapo kwako nyumbani, how can you deliver the presidency? Kasongo anakushinda kwako hapo nyumbani, hapo polling station yako,” Gachagua said.
Gachagua argued that leaders seeking to remove Ruto from power in the 2027 General Election must demonstrate their electoral strength instead of relying on press conferences, hotel meetings and political statements.
He maintained that winning the presidency required direct engagement with voters and the ability to mobilise sufficient numbers across the country.
“Politics is a game of numbers. The science of politics is numbers. For you to be president, we are expecting kutakuwa na 26 million to be on the same side. Lazima tupate thirteen million plus one,” he stated.
The former Deputy President said opposition leaders needed to establish how many votes they could deliver before discussing how to combine their political support bases.
He claimed to have held discussions with several opposition principals, including Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa, over their respective voter mobilisation targets.
He also defended his proposal to consolidate support from Mt Kenya, Ukambani and Western Kenya, arguing that the opposition needed to combine its numerical strength to defeat Ruto.
Gachagua further invoked his experience in the 2022 General Election, claiming that he had played a significant role in mobilising voters who helped Ruto win the presidency before their political fallout.
“I am a believer of numbers. I am also experienced. I delivered the presidency in the last election through mobilisation of numbers. Nilikuja nikamobilise numbers tukasaidia huyu Kasongo akakuwa raisi. Kufika pale akatugeuka,” he said.
The former Deputy President accused some opposition leaders of spending too much time in hotels and boardrooms instead of conducting grassroots campaigns.
He argued that political popularity on television and social media could not automatically translate into votes, insisting that presidential aspirants had to persuade Kenyans directly.
“There is no other formula of sending William Ruto home unless you go out and mobilise numbers. And we must discuss numbers. Some are uncomfortable to discuss numbers. They must be discussed,” Gachagua added.
His remarks came a day after Muturi accused him of undermining cooperation within the United Opposition and putting personal and regional political interests ahead of the coalition’s collective ambition.
Muturi warned that Gachagua’s insistence on political arrangements involving different blocs risked weakening the opposition’s efforts to agree on a common presidential candidate.
Matiang’i had also criticised Gachagua, describing his approach as arrogant and warning that what he termed majoritarian politics could divide the opposition.
During Tuesday’s meeting, National Organising Secretary of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), Mithika Linturi, also urged Muturi to avoid divisions within the Mt Kenya region, saying disagreements among leaders could weaken their collective political influence.
He claimed that DCP had withdrawn its candidate in Mbeere during an earlier election to give Muturi’s DP candidate an opportunity, but the arrangement had not delivered the expected result.
“Tuliingia kusaidia wewe kule Mbeere wakati tulikuwa na uchaguzi. Hata tuka withdraw candidate wa DCP ili candidate wako aweze kupata nafasi,” Linturi said.
He further urged Muturi to engage other leaders directly rather than relying on press conferences to address political disagreements.
Linturi also turned his attention to Matiang’i, whom he described as a “crying baby”, urging him to return to Kisii and consolidate his support base.
“So Bwana Matiang’i, tafadhali rudi kule Kisii. Consolidate watu wako. Wapige kura uwalete wote pamoja,” he said.
He also cited a disagreement over candidates in Ol Kalou, claiming that his party had advised Matiang’i’s side against fielding a candidate in an area where DCP had support. He said the candidate who eventually contested secured about 20 votes, while DCP won the race.
The DCP leaders have urged opposition leaders to sit down and agree on how to combine their support bases, arguing that disagreements over candidates could cost them votes in the 2027 General Election.
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