Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has said the recent meeting between President William Ruto and retired President Uhuru Kenyatta was in order.
Speaking during an interview with media houses from western Kakamega, Gachagua termed the December 9, 2024 meeting between the two leaders in Gatundu as “good.”
“As far as I am concerned, a meeting between two leaders is good,” he stated.
Gachagua nonetheless downplayed the meeting’s impact on the leadership or political landscape of the country.
“He is a retired President and we have not seen him participate in politics. I have not heard Uhuru saying he is interested in leading this country,” he added.
Soon after the meeting, Gachagua downplayed the closing of ranks between the two, insisting that leaders are free to meet and that he has been holding similar meetings with other politicians after his impeachment.
Speaking during the media interview, Gachagua maintained that Uhuru “is our son” saying he is still their leader in Mt Kenya.
“We respect him for the work he has done for this country and we will continue to respect him for that,” he said.
Gachagua has been moving to consolidate his Mt Kenya support ahead of the 2027 General Elections.
Ruto, who is seen to be on a mission to win back the support of the Mt Kenya region, came out to explain why he met the retired President after years of a strained relationship.
The President said he met with Uhuru to find common ground for future collaboration.
The former Deputy President has also been pursuing a truce with Uhuru, hoping it will strengthen his hand in Mt Kenya.
In recent interviews, Gachagua has indicated that Uhuru still ranks in his books as Mt Kenya kingpin and regrets having gone “overly ballistic” on the retired President during the 2022 campaigns.
On March 25, Gachagua apologised to former First Lady Mama Ngina Kenyatta for what he termed as “bad politics” during the 2022 elections.
