Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has long held the belief that "nothing good comes out of a handshake," particularly in the context of political coalitions. This conviction was tested when he witnessed a coalition forming between President William Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga—a development Gachagua had vehemently opposed. The event unfolded at State House, where President Ruto announced the inclusion of notable opposition members into a 'broad-based' government, leaving many to recall Gachagua's past assertions that he would never support such a handshake.
On April 6, 2023, during a church function at the AIPCA church in Kiambu County, Gachagua stated that he would not endorse any handshake between President Ruto and Raila Odinga. He remarked, “Those people should leave me alone. I am not a hardliner; I am just saying what my bosses want. My people do not want a handshake - or do you?”
Earlier, in March 2023, amid protests over the rising cost of living, Gachagua had warned against any expectation that Raila's protests might lead to a handshake deal. He humorously declared, “Even if he (Raila Odinga) goes to the streets, rioting hoping the President will invite him for a handshake deal, that will not happen. I will be roaming in State House compound so that when this mzee tries to sneak in through the back door he finds me there!”
Despite these strong statements, it seems that political realities shifted. A 'nusu mkate' or 'half-loaf' government, a term often used to describe power-sharing arrangements, has apparently been embraced by President Ruto, much to the surprise of Gachagua and others.
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In April 2023, Gachagua reiterated his stance, distancing himself from any handshake, saying, “He had a handshake with our prince who was a good person full of respect but later, you all saw what happened. Even if there is a handshake, I as Rigathi Gachagua will not be there. For me, I am the husband to a pastor.”
Again, in October 2023, during the National Dialogue Committee's discussions, Gachagua was adamant that the Mt. Kenya region would oppose any proposal for a handshake with the Azimio opposition party, a stance that led to a public disagreement with Raila Odinga. In an interview with Inooro FM, Gachagua asserted that dialogue would not help Odinga enter the government, stating, “I assure you that the talks will get him nowhere. We have agreed with President Ruto that we will not bring him into the government.”
President Ruto himself had expressed similar sentiments during opposition-led protests in 2023, dismissing the idea of a power-sharing arrangement by declaring, “hii serikali ni ya ma-hustler, hakuna nusu mkate, hakuna handshake, hakuna hiyo porojo… hawa wananchi walimaliza hiyi kazi mwezi wa nane mwaka jana na wakagawa viti vyote.”
These assurances from the President seemingly reinforced Gachagua's confidence in his anti-handshake stance. However, recent developments have led some to caution Gachagua against taking such firm positions on national matters. Lawyer Ahmednassir Abdullahi advised on X, “In Kenya politics, never express yourself definitively on any subject, always maintain constructive ambiguity.”
As the saying goes, "a week is a long time in politics," a reality that Deputy President Gachagua now faces.
