Ruto-Gachagua deal in the offing as ex-DP heads to US? — 2027 alliance speculation deepens
Gachagua’s planned US visit has revived remarks by former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria, who has suggested that the bitterly divided former Kenya Kwanza allies could yet find their way back to each other before the 2027 elections.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is set to travel to the United States on Wednesday this week, August 26, 2026 for a diaspora tour, raising fresh speculation over his political plans and claims that he could reunite with President William Ruto ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Gachagua, who leads the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), said he would leave for the US on the evening of Wednesday, August 26, after concluding a Wamunyoro consultation forum.
“On Monday, I will have the last meeting here, then on Wednesday, I will be in Kikuyu. On that evening, God willing, I will leave for the USA. Pray for my travel,” Gachagua told residents.
He insisted the trip would be for political and official engagements rather than leisure, signalling that he intends to use the tour to advance his political ambitions.
“I am heading there for work, not to rest. I have to organise a few things because, as I told you, William Ruto must go home,” he said.
However, his planned US visit has revived remarks by former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria, who has suggested that the bitterly divided former Kenya Kwanza allies could yet find their way back to each other before the 2027 elections.
Speaking on Citizen TV on August 9, Kuria challenged Gachagua to publicly declare, under oath at a PCEA church, that he has no political deal with Ruto and will not enter into one before the election.
“I’ve asked him yesterday to go to the moderator of the PCEA church. Take the Bible and say to the world, one, that he doesn’t have a deal currently with William Ruto. And two, that he’s not going to have one before 2027,” Kuria said.
Kuria also pointed to the timing of Gachagua’s overseas tour, claiming that Ruto would similarly be in the US in September.
“Rigathi is preparing for an overseas trip in September in the US. Ruto will be there in September. I don’t know what I’m saying, but watch this space,” he said.
The remarks have fuelled questions over whether the two leaders, whose political partnership collapsed spectacularly in 2024, could negotiate a new arrangement as the 2027 contest takes shape.
Ruto and Gachagua won the 2022 election on the Kenya Kwanza ticket, but their relationship deteriorated amid accusations of insubordination against the President. Gachagua was subsequently impeached by the National Assembly and Senate in 2024 and removed from office.
He challenged the impeachment in court, but the High Court upheld his removal, finding that the process was lawful. His appeal is still pending.
Gachagua has repeatedly trashed suggestions of a political reunion with Ruto and is currently working with opposition leaders pushing for a single candidate to challenge the President.
According to the itinerary released by DCP, Gachagua will begin his political engagements in Spokane, Washington, on September 4 and remain there until September 10.
Spokane, in eastern Washington, lies about 20 miles west of the Idaho border and along the Spokane River.
The city has a political history that includes civil rights activism and the work of Carl Maxey, a trailblazing attorney who challenged racial discrimination in housing and employment and in 1968 became the first Black major-party candidate for the US Senate from Washington.
The city also has a more troubled political history. The Ku Klux Klan gained a foothold in eastern Washington during the 1920s and 1930s before declining amid public opposition and internal scandals.
From Spokane, Gachagua will travel to Portland, Oregon, where he is scheduled to stay from September 10 to September 16.
Portland has for decades been associated with progressive urban politics, environmental activism and civil rights movements.
It also became a major centre of protests over racial justice and police brutality following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Gachagua will then travel to Kansas, where he is scheduled to spend eight days from September 16 to September 24.
Kansas sits within a region that has played an important role in America’s political history. It in particular, became a major battleground in the struggle over slavery in the years preceding the American Civil War. The violent confrontations known as “Bleeding Kansas” helped shape the politics that preceded the emergence of the Republican Party in 1854.
From Kansas, Gachagua will head to Dallas, Texas, where he will spend eight days from September 24 to October 1.
Dallas is a major economic centre in the US and a prominent venue for political fundraising, conventions and national policy debates.
The city is also part of the wider Sun Belt, a region where business-oriented and conservative politics have traditionally held significant influence.
Gachagua’s final stop will be Boston, Massachusetts, where he is scheduled to stay from October 1 to October 9.
Boston is deeply associated with the history of the American Revolution and has evolved into a major centre of liberal politics, academia and public policy.
The city is home to leading universities and research institutions whose scholars and policy experts have long contributed to national debates on governance, education, healthcare and labour.
Speaking at the church service, Gachagua said he would interact with Americans from different backgrounds during his stay as he takes time to consider what he described as critical political decisions.
The US tour comes at the conclusion of his 55-day Wamunyoro political conclave, which has been part of his efforts to consolidate support ahead of the 2027 General Election.
