Junet Denies Gachagua Allies’ Claims That He Worked With Them to Deny Raila Presidency
National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed has strongly dismissed claims by allies of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua that he covertly collaborated with them to undermine Raila Odinga’s presidential bid during the 2022 General Election.
Speaking during a televised interview on Citizen TV, the Suna East Member of Parliament refuted allegations that he worked with Gachagua or his political allies at any point, insisting there was no past, present, or future political relationship between the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), which is associated with the former deputy president.
The allegations were publicly raised by DCP deputy party leader Cleophas Malala, who accused Junet of betraying ODM and secretly supporting President William Ruto. Malala further claimed that Junet never genuinely believed in Raila Odinga’s leadership despite serving as one of his closest political allies.
According to Malala, Junet allegedly held covert late-night meetings with President Ruto during the election period, during which he was said to have passed on intelligence regarding ODM agents across the country. These claims have since sparked heated political debate, particularly within opposition circles.
Junet, however, flatly rejected the accusations, accusing Gachagua and his allies of dishonesty and political mischief. He said the former deputy president had consistently misrepresented his relationship with ODM while allegedly taking actions that weakened the party during his time in government.
“I have never worked with Rigathi Gachagua, not then, not now, and not in the future,” Junet said. “These claims are outright lies meant to rewrite history and shift blame.”
He also dismissed recent remarks by Gachagua suggesting that President Ruto and his allies were plotting to dismantle ODM, arguing that the former deputy president had no genuine interest in the party’s political survival.
Junet went further to accuse Gachagua of duplicity, alleging that while in office, he played a role in state actions that targeted ODM supporters during post-election protests. He cited incidents in which Raila Odinga’s convoy was allegedly targeted by police during demonstrations in Nairobi.
“It is embarrassing to be associated with Rigathi Gachagua,” Junet said. “When he was in power, he was the same person waking up at 5am to stop ODM’s maandamano. Today, he pretends to care about the party.”
Turning to ODM’s current political strategy, Junet said the party’s immediate focus was on negotiations with President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) as part of possible political realignments ahead of the 2027 General Election. He noted that any cooperation would be based strictly on a mutually beneficial agreement.
“We are open to talks with UDA, but only if there is respect and fairness,” he said, adding that ODM would explore alternative alliances should the negotiations fail.
However, Junet categorically ruled out any engagement with Gachagua’s DCP, stating that there was no substantive basis for dialogue.
“We cannot discuss anything with DCP. What exactly is there to discuss?” he posed. “Rigathi Gachagua is the only impeached deputy president in Africa, and his politics are about divisions, not solutions.”
In a broader reflection on ODM’s electoral history, Junet argued that entrenched power structures in Kenya had consistently resisted Raila Odinga’s presidency, contributing to the party’s repeated losses at the ballot. He also suggested that some allies who publicly supported Raila failed to mobilise grassroots backing when it mattered most
His remarks underscore growing tensions within Kenya’s opposition politics as leaders trade accusations and position themselves ahead of the next election cycle.
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Junet Denies Gachagua Allies’ Claims That He Worked With Them to Deny Raila Presidency
