Gachagua’s Political U-Turn: Why He Suddenly Rose to Uhuru’s Defence
Afrireport 
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When the political ground beneath former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua began to shift in October 2024, few anticipated the dramatic turn his rhetoric would take.
As impeachment threats crystallised into an unavoidable reality, Gachagua stepped into a role that surprised both allies and critics, recasting himself as an unlikely shield for former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
For months prior, Gachagua had been among the most vocal critics of Uhuru, repeatedly accusing the former Head of State of orchestrating Azimio la Umoja protests aimed at destabilising President William Ruto’s administration.
His statements were sharp and unapologetic, reinforcing the Kenya Kwanza narrative that painted Uhuru as a behind the scenes saboteur.
That posture, however, shifted abruptly when Gachagua found himself politically isolated.
As impeachment proceedings gathered momentum, the former deputy president struck a markedly different tone.
He publicly accused President Ruto of unfairly targeting Uhuru, framing the former president as a victim of sustained political harassment.
In doing so, Gachagua appeared to seek moral high ground, presenting his stance as one rooted in principle rather than convenience.
Facing abandonment by key allies and diminishing influence within government, aligning himself with Uhuru offered Gachagua a broader national audience and a possible bridge to opposition sympathy.
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The move, however, exposed deep contradictions. Critics were quick to point out that Gachagua had not only endorsed but amplified accusations against Uhuru for months.
His sudden transformation raised questions about sincerity and whether the defence was a calculated attempt to recast himself as a victim of the same political machinery he once defended.
Within Mt Kenya politics, the shift further complicated an already fractured landscape.
Some leaders viewed Gachagua’s stance as an attempt to reclaim relevance by tapping into Uhuru’s residual influence in the region.
Others dismissed it as too little, too late, arguing that trust once broken is difficult to rebuild.
As the impeachment process unfolded, Gachagua’s rebranding underscored the fluid nature of Kenyan politics, where alliances are rarely permanent and ideological lines often blur under pressure.
Whether his defence of Uhuru will be remembered as a principled stand or a desperate gamble remains a subject of debate, but it undeniably marked one of the most striking reversals of Kenya’s recent political history.
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