Ex Deputy president Rigathi Gachagua has moved to give Kenya’s opposition a governing agenda ahead of the 2027 elections, promising that a united opposition administration would spend its first 100 days dismantling State capture, recovering grabbed land, cutting the cost of living and restoring confidence in public institutions.
The former deputy president's intervention marks a shift in the opposition campaign from simply attacking President William Ruto's administration to spelling out what Gachagua says Kenyans should expect if the opposition takes power.
Speaking to Kenyans in Spokane and Pullman, Washington, Gachagua said the first challenge facing a new administration would be the country's difficult financial position.
He said the government it would inherit would have public debt exceeding Sh13 trillion, pending bills of about Sh800 billion and sluggish economic growth.
“The country will be having high expectations, but the most urgent work plan will be to implement what requires political goodwill,” Gachagua said.
The DCP leader argued that a new government would not have the luxury of immediately embarking on expensive programmes because of the financial constraints it would inherit.
Instead, he said, the priority would be reforms that could be undertaken through political decisions.
“Restoring governance institutions, protecting human dignity and dismantling what we call State capture can begin immediately without major budgetary allocations,” he said.
Land grabbing
Gachagua's most striking promise was on land, an issue that has repeatedly featured in his political messaging.
He claimed that about 150,000 acres had been grabbed by powerful individuals in government and vowed to reverse the alleged acquisitions.
“There are about 150,000 acres that have been grabbed by powerful people in government and all the titles awarded must be cancelled in the first 100 days,” he said.
He also promised action on community land whose titles he described as having been illegally issued.
The former deputy president said the proposed administration would also target hotels allegedly constructed along wildlife corridors, promising their demolition.
The pledges place land and the protection of public resources at the centre of Gachagua's proposed opposition government.
Gen Z deaths
Gachagua also promised that a united opposition government would revisit the deaths of young Kenyans during the Gen Z protests of 2024 and 2025.
He said investigations would be undertaken and those found culpable would face prosecution.
The pledge gives the opposition another potentially potent campaign issue as it seeks to mobilise young voters who have been among the most vocal critics of the Ruto administration.
Gachagua also promised reforms in mental healthcare and proposed the establishment of girls' boarding schools in wards where female genital mutilation and early marriage remain prevalent.
On the economy, he said an opposition government would seek to reduce taxation and lower the cost of living.
He also promised a tougher approach to illicit brews, merit-based appointments in government and a “zero tolerance” policy towards political violence.
'It is a collective agenda'
But Gachagua was careful to insist that the programme was not a personal manifesto.
With opposition leaders still negotiating how to settle on a single presidential candidate, he presented the proposals as a common platform that could be implemented regardless of who ultimately gets the opposition ticket.
“Whether it is me, Kalonzo Musyoka who is seasoned, cool and wise, Edwin Sifuna and his agility, Dr Fred Matiang’i who is a renowned workaholic, or Martha Karua whose eyesight is steady and focused on standards, the job will be done because it is a collective agenda,” he said.
The statement is significant because Gachagua has been building his own political base while simultaneously pushing for a united opposition capable of challenging Ruto.
He has now made clear that he is willing to consider an arrangement in which another politician takes the presidential ticket.
Gachagua opens door for Sifuna
Gachagua's comments about Sifuna have added a new twist to the opposition succession battle.
The former deputy president has said he could deputise the Nairobi senator if political calculations show that Sifuna has the strongest chance of defeating Ruto.
“And there is no problem even if Riggy G can deputise Sifuna, what is wrong with that?” Gachagua said in remarks reported earlier this week.
He said the opposition should not choose its presidential candidate on the basis of seniority or political entitlement, but on the candidate's ability to win.
“If we do our arithmetic and find that Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna will send President William Ruto home early, so be it,” he said.
Gachagua also dismissed concerns about Sifuna's age, pointing to the relatively young age at which Barack Obama became US president.
“Sifuna is above 18 years, he is 44. Barack Obama was elected US President at 47,” he said.
He challenged the senator to test his popularity rather than listen to critics.
“I have told Sifuna, don’t be discouraged by anybody. Go for it,” Gachagua said.
He has similarly left the door open for Kalonzo Musyoka to lead the ticket, suggesting that the final arrangement could involve different combinations of the leading opposition figures.
“We shall agree on one candidate to become our presidential candidate. Every candidate is equal to the task and Kenyans are very clear in their mind,” he said.
Gachagua's proposal from America
Gachagua also revealed that his extended stay in the United States has given him an opportunity to engage the Kenyan diaspora and work on ideas for bringing the opposition together.
He rejected the suggestion that the trip was simply about promoting his own presidential ambitions.
“I ran away from undue influence, and while here, I will try to come up with my own view of how we can combine strengths so as to defeat President William Ruto,” he said.
He said he would present his proposal to the opposition principals when they next meet.
“I will table that proposal once we meet as opposition principals. All of us at the negotiation table will table proposals, and we will discuss them ahead of naming our presidential candidate, earliest in March 2027,” Gachagua said.
That timetable puts fresh pressure on the opposition leaders to resolve their leadership question before the election campaign enters its final stretch.
Diaspora takes centre stage
Gachagua also wants Kenyans living abroad to play a bigger role in the country's economy.
He proposed a diaspora bank that would allow Kenyans abroad to retain interest, service fees and commissions generated through their remittances.
But he said the contribution of the diaspora should go beyond sending money home.
“It is not just about diaspora remittances. It is also about the brains they use to prosper in foreign lands,” he said.
His proposal includes what he called “commercial diplomacy”, with Kenyan ambassadors expected to help market agricultural products, tourism and other exports in their host countries.
“We want to start commercial diplomacy where we give a commission for any tourist the diaspora recommends to come to Kenya, and for any agricultural produce you help us sell,” Gachagua said.
