Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has launched a scathing attack on President William Ruto, declaring that the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has been politically "finished" under the current administration's influence.
In fiery remarks delivered during a public engagement in Naivasha on the evening of Sunday, February 8, 2026, Gachagua directly responded to recent comments by President Ruto, who had dismissed efforts to revive the Azimio coalition, stating it could not survive without ODM.
Gachagua fired back sharply, asserting that ODM has already lost its dominance and multi-ethnic appeal.
“I have heard William Ruto say there’s an attempt to revive Azimio, and that Azimio cannot be revived because it has no ODM. I want to tell William Ruto that ODM is finished. The Luhya have left, the Kisiis have left, the Kamba have left, the people of the Coast have left. There is no such thing as ODM. Just like UDA lost the Mountain, now there is no such thing as UDA. So, you are cornered, and in a few days, we will escort you back home,” Gachagua stated.
The former Deputy President, who now leads the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) after his impeachment in October 2024, suggested that key traditional voting blocs once loyal to ODM have abandoned the party amid its cooperation with the Kenya Kwanza government.
This comes against the backdrop of the Ruto-ODM working arrangement, which followed the death of Raila Odinga in October 2025 and has seen ODM figures take up cabinet and other positions.
Gachagua's comments echo his earlier warnings about Ruto's alleged strategy to weaken or divide opposition parties, including claims that the president has been working to "kill" or undermine ODM from within to neutralize competition ahead of the 2027 elections.