‘UDA Is Dead’: Gachagua Says Ol Kalou Sent Ruto a Brutal 2027 Warning

NAIROBI, Kenya- Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has launched his strongest political attack yet on President William Ruto, declaring that the ruling UDA party is “dead” in the Mt. Kenya region following the party’s crushing defeat in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election.

Addressing jubilant supporters after the Democratic Change Party (DCP) trounced UDA in the July 16 contest, Gachagua portrayed the outcome as far more than a constituency loss, arguing it was a national referendum on President Ruto’s leadership and a preview of the 2027 General Election.

“The people of Ol Kalou, on behalf of the people of Kenya, have proven that William Ruto’s dirty money means nothing,” Gachagua declared. “That is why we are celebrating.”

The former deputy president claimed the State had deployed an unprecedented political machine to salvage the seat but still suffered a humiliating defeat.

According to Gachagua, the government marshalled “almost Sh16 billion” worth of resources into the campaign, alongside seven Cabinet Secretaries, 16 Principal Secretaries, 42 heads of state corporations, 91 Members of Parliament and nearly 2,000 police officers.

Despite the massive deployment, he said, voters delivered a blunt verdict.

“Ol Kalou people had a message for William Ruto: We are through with you.”

‘UDA Is Dead’

Gachagua argued the by-election merely confirmed what he had predicted months earlier—that UDA had irreversibly lost the confidence of Mt. Kenya voters.

“I knew since October 2024 that UDA was dead and William Ruto’s fate was sealed,” he said.

“Ol Kalou was just a confirmation of what I knew. The people of the mountain were confirming what they intend to do in the General Election.”

He went further, predicting that UDA would fail to win a single elective seat across the region in next year’s anticipated elections.

“Next year in September, UDA will not get a single seat in the mountain,” he asserted.

‘We Made Him President’

In one of the most politically explosive moments of his speech, Gachagua claimed he had personally warned President Ruto while serving as his deputy that his style of leadership would eventually alienate Mt. Kenya voters.

“I helped you become president,” Gachagua said he had told Ruto.

“I could see the route you were taking, and I warned you that the political consequences would be disastrous.”

He argued that the President ignored those warnings, leading to what he now described as an irreversible political collapse.

The ‘Engineer’ Versus the ‘Fundi’

Gachagua also mocked President Ruto’s long-standing reputation as a master political strategist.

“I have heard William Ruto say he is a fundi wa siasa,” he said.

“We are engineers, and we shall allocate him work as a fundi.”

The remarks drew loud cheers from supporters and appeared aimed at puncturing the President’s image as Kenya’s most formidable political tactician.

Response to Kindiki

Gachagua also revisited remarks previously made by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, who had promised that critics of the government would eventually be “straightened out.”

“Kindiki alisema atatunyorosha na tutaheshimiana,” Gachagua said.

“It is true. Tumeheshimiana.”

The remark was delivered sarcastically, suggesting that the Ol Kalou result had instead humbled the government.

‘Even 13 Per Cent Was Too Generous’

The former deputy president dismissed UDA’s performance in the by-election, insisting the party’s candidate only managed 13 per cent because of his local political profile rather than President Ruto’s popularity.

“The 13 per cent belonged to the candidate,” Gachagua said.

“He had worked with the CDF office for 13 years. If it were William Ruto contesting, he would not have reached three per cent.”

Battle for Mt. Kenya

Gachagua maintained that the Mt. Kenya region remains the country’s decisive electoral bloc and warned that losing it would make President Ruto’s re-election mathematically impossible.

“The mountain is central in electing a president,” he said.

“Whoever the mountain supports becomes president.”

“Politics is a game of numbers, and the mountain has moved away from William Ruto. He has no chance.”

The remarks underscore Gachagua’s strategy of framing the Ol Kalou by-election as evidence that Mt. Kenya has abandoned the ruling party, setting the stage for an intense political contest ahead of the 2027 General Election.

While President Ruto and UDA leaders have downplayed the significance of the by-election, arguing that national elections are decided by broader coalitions, Gachagua insists the Ol Kalou outcome marks the beginning of a much larger political realignment.