Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has strongly supported Raila Odinga's bid to become chairman of the African Union Commission (AUC).
Speaking during the launch of Kenya’s AUC campaign at State House, Nairobi, Gachagua emphasized that his past disagreements with Raila were due to political rivalry.
“As an honest man, I hold no personal grudges against him. Our differences were simply because we were vying for the same position. Now that he’s pursuing a higher role on the African stage, we are all united behind him,” Gachagua stated.
He praised Raila as a remarkable leader with resilience, endurance, and perseverance.
“Today marks the transformation of Raila Odinga from a national figure to an African statesman,” he added.
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In 2023, Gachagua had publicly declared that he had set traps at State House to prevent Raila from joining President William Ruto’s administration. At the time, Gachagua was adamant about keeping Raila out, accusing him of disrupting previous governments.
However, these efforts proved unsuccessful when Raila later collaborated with President Ruto to form a broad-based government that included opposition members. Gachagua later explained that he removed the traps when he saw his boss reconciling with his former political rival.
"President Ruto is in charge; it's his house. I decided to step back and observe from a distance," Gachagua remarked.
