Renowned political analyst Prof. Herman Manyora has boldly crowned Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua as the new face of Kenya’s opposition politics, claiming he has effectively taken over the mantle from longtime opposition figure Raila Odinga.
In an interview with TV47’s Abubakar Abdullahi, Prof. Manyora described Gachagua as “the undisputed King of opposition politics” and credited him with reshaping the current political battlefield.
“He has replaced Raila as the man to watch when you’re talking about opposition politics. He’s the most influential, he’s the most powerful, and he knows how to deliver pain—and delivers it well, especially to President Ruto,” Manyora said.
The political commentator recalled telling Gachagua he would rise to the position of Deputy President during a past encounter, a prediction that came to pass.
According to Manyora, Gachagua’s growing influence stems from his aggressive defense of the Mount Kenya region and his strategic rhetoric aimed at unifying communities perceived to be sidelined.
“They thought they would isolate the mountain people. Gachagua responded by reaching out to cousins, then ‘macuzo,’ now ‘mashemeji.’ You don’t know what’s next,” he remarked, referencing Gachagua’s symbolic outreach to Maasai and other communities.
In a striking cultural metaphor, Manyora noted that the Kikuyu-Maasai historical bond—often reinforced through intermarriage and traditional practices—was being tactically invoked by Gachagua to expand his political base and disarm narratives of tribal isolation.
“I saw him swinging into ‘mashemeji’ people we can marry. You know the Kikuyu and Maasai traditionally even through raiding… So when you hear a Kikuyu lady called Nyokafi, that’s from the Kikuyu word Akafi,” Manyora explained.
Despite Gachagua’s growing stature in the opposition space, Manyora held back on predicting a presidential bid, saying the question of whether he will run—or win—remains speculative.
“But in terms of his abilities to scare and give the president sleepless nights, he’s doing that very well,” he emphasized.
