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Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua hosted Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and his People Liberation counterpart Martha Karua at his Wamunyoro home for a thanksgiving function that had significant political implications.
Fred Matiang'i, Eugene Wamalwa, and Wafula Wamunyinyi, Mithika Linturi and Justin Muturi were also present in Wamunyoro,
Joined by a shared goal of sending President William Ruto home and the promise of governing better, song, dance and politics mixed freely.
READ: Why Ruto's men are uneasy with Uhuru, the power he wields & why he is an asset
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The leaders who came bearing gifts were treated to a grand reception befitting their status, setting the stage for engagements that strengthen bonds of friendship and set the tone for future alliances.
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With experience spanning several years in the game, Gachagua appears to have borrowed from Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power as he crafts an alliance that he hopes will send his former boss packing.
His evolution in the political ecosystem careful tact, growth in experience and learning from past mistakes.
Putting trust in friends & using enemies
Gachagua, by his own admission got into a pact with Ruto by simply trusting his word and learnt from experience never to put too much trust in friends, citing betrayal by the president.
He has since picked up the pieces and learnt how to use those who were once his political enemies, turning to Karua, Kalonzo and others.
Political isolation
As opposed to in the past when he tore into rivals, isolating himself from key politicians and finding himself in a lonely corner when he was eventually kicked out, Gachagua appears to have learnt the importance of “Do not build a fortress to protect yourself, isolation is dangerous”.
READ: Gachagua turns to 6 tactics used by Ruto in bid to deny him a 2nd term in 2027
He has been proactive in reaching out to all, dropping the share-holder narrative and building bridges that he hopes will send Ruto home.
Where apologies are needed, the former DP has been forthright as in the case of retired President Uhuru Kenyatta who was his punching bag during campaigns and beyond.
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He has learnt to avoid stepping into a great man’s shoes and chooses his battles wisely while concentrating his efforts, with perfect timing that see him pass political messages with precision.
Concealed intentions
At this time, Gachagua is carefully concealing his intentions as he commits to no one in the political ecosystem. His strategy is simple: be courted by all, build bridges and achieve the ends.
Despite promising to unveil a political party last year, the former DP has kept all guessing while working behind the scenes.
Use the surrender tactic: transform weakness into power
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When he was impeached from office and subsequently replaced within the ranks of UDA party, some expected Gachagua to simply melt away. He did not. Not only did he reinvent himself as a fierce government critic but he also turned the experience into power, emerging as a center of influence in his home turf and reaching out to others to build a power base that any aspirant keen on clinching the presidency in 2027 cannot ignore.
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While he also steps out of his territory to meet others in theirs, Gachagua has turned his Wamunyoro home into a center of political influence by making others come to him for negotiations or meetings.