Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga has rejected any suggestion that the meeting between former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and leaders of the Linda Mwananchi Movement is connected to the political legacy of the late Raila Odinga, according to The Star, Kenya.
The gathering took place on Tuesday at Gachagua's rural home in Wamunyoro, Nyeri county, a day after the former Deputy President returned from roughly two months in the United States. Wanga, who is a close ally of President William Ruto, addressed the matter on Wednesday in Kasipul, Homa Bay county.
She said neither ODM nor the broad-based government feels threatened by the political engagements now taking shape around Gachagua and the movement, The Star, Kenya reports.
Why it matters
The Wamunyoro meeting has intensified speculation about how Kenya's opposition will line up before the 2027 general election. Gachagua's Democratic Party of Kenya (DCP) and the Linda Mwananchi Movement are both seen as possible building blocks of a challenge to Ruto, and any cooperation between them would reshape the contest.
Wanga's remarks show the ruling side is already working to frame that emerging alliance as a rejection of Raila's unifying politics, rather than a continuation of it. Her intervention also places ODM's claim to Raila's legacy at the centre of the early campaign argument.
Who attended the Wamunyoro meeting
The delegation was led by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and included former Law Society of Kenya president Faith Odhiambo, Linda Mwananchi head of communication Pauline Njoroge, DCP secretary general John Methu and former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala.
Gachagua greeted the group warmly, describing the visitors as his cousins and suggesting that cooperation could deepen. "Welcome to Wamunyoro residence, my cousins from Linda Mwananchi. When we come together, great things must happen," he said, according to The Star, Kenya.
No formal political agreement was announced after the talks, and the substance of the discussions was not made public. Malala has previously argued that Gachagua and Sifuna could form a strong partnership capable of taking on Ruto in 2027, and he has said he was representing Gachagua at Linda Mwananchi gatherings.
The visit came shortly after Gachagua landed back in Kenya. He had left the country on the night of Wednesday, August 26, and kept a low public profile while abroad. Since his impeachment in October 2024, he has concentrated on rebuilding his support, especially in the Mt Kenya region.
Wanga draws a line between Raila and the new alliance
Wanga argued that the broad-based government rests on Raila's goal of spreading development evenly across the country, regardless of how any community voted or which ethnic group it belongs to. She said ODM and the administration would keep pushing the "Usawa ni Sawa" message as the 2027 election approaches.
She directed her sharpest words at politicians she said were invoking Raila's name while working with figures she accused of practising ethnic politics. "We have seen those people who sent those who were claiming that Baba's spirit is with them. Those people who had sent them to Wamunyoro and other places have nothing common with Raila Odinga," she said.
Wanga cast Raila as a leader who brought Kenyans together and set that against what she called politics that splits the country along ethnic lines. "Baba was Kenya's unifier, while those ones are for dividing Kenya. Baba loved everyone from all corners; those ones hate and advance tribalism," she said, adding that ODM could not align itself with forces she said look to only one region and promote hostility between communities.
The Star, Kenya reports that Wanga's comments reflect growing jockeying among political leaders as consultations and realignments accelerate ahead of the vote.
What to watch is whether Gachagua and Linda Mwananchi move from warm words at Wamunyoro to a declared partnership, and how firmly ODM holds to its claim on Raila's legacy as that question is answered.
