THIKA, Kenya- Former Deputy President and DCP Leader Rigathi Gachagua and Linda Mwananchi Movement Leader Edwin Sifuna have called on Kenya’s legal fraternity to defend constitutionalism and the rule of law, linking the country’s rights record and the integrity of the 2027 General Election to a stronger legal order.
The two leaders spoke on Saturday night at the second edition of Ngemi Cia Watho at Thika Greens Golf Club in Kiambu County, an event hosted by the GEMA Watho Association that brought together lawyers and other legal professionals.
Gachagua said Kenya must restore respect for the Constitution and the rule of law if cases of abductions are to end.
“We must restore the rule of law and constitutionalism for abductions to end,” Gachagua said, urging lawyers to remain at the centre of the country’s push for justice and accountability.
Call to scrutinise IEBC processes
The DCP leader also asked advocates to closely interrogate the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and its processes ahead of next year’s election.
“Let’s hear our lawyers more,” he said, arguing that the legal profession has a responsibility to protect the country’s democratic institutions and guard against electoral malpractice.
Gachagua, who has repeatedly criticised President William Ruto’s administration, said he had personally experienced injustice and maintained that the country needed a renewed commitment to fairness.
“I have been a victim of injustice. We must restore the rule of law and make sure there is justice in this country,” he said.
He also challenged voters in the Mt Kenya region to be more deliberate when choosing their political representatives, saying the quality of leaders elected would shape the region’s influence in national affairs.
“When I was here last year, I cried as a child before you because of the quality of legislators in our region,” Gachagua said.
“The quality of people seeking positions, if the voters are kind to them, we will have very strong and quality legislators.”
Sifuna returns to legal fraternity
Sifuna said the event held special meaning for him because it reunited him with colleagues from the legal profession, whom he credited with giving him his first experience in elective politics in 2016.
“It’s always nice hanging out with my colleagues in the legal profession. They gave me my first taste of elective office back in 2016 and I cannot forget them,” the Nairobi Senator said.
Sifuna used the gathering to reinforce his call for unity among opposition leaders, saying the restoration of constitutionalism, respect for human rights and the end of abductions required a change in political leadership.
He said he and Gachagua had agreed to put aside their past political differences as they pursue a common objective of preventing President Ruto from securing a second term in 2027.
The attendance of the two leaders at the lawyers’ forum comes amid growing engagement between opposition figures as they seek to forge a broad political alliance ahead of the elections.
Single candidate pledge
Gachagua said there was commitment within the opposition to settle on one presidential candidate, although he did not name a preferred flagbearer or outline the mechanism that would be used to select one.
“The commitment for one single presidential candidate is there,” he said.
The question of who will lead a united opposition remains a major issue, with several leaders positioning themselves for the presidential contest and different political formations pursuing separate coalition-building efforts.
Ngemi Cia Watho 2.0 was primarily a cultural and professional gathering for legal practitioners, but it became a platform for Gachagua and Sifuna to make a wider political appeal centred on constitutionalism, justice, human rights and opposition unity.
