"Gachagua and Ruto are just two sides of the same rotten coin."

Lawyer and political commentator Willis Otieno has criticized the recent political moves by President William Ruto and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

Lawyer and political commentator Willis Otieno has criticized the recent political moves by President William Ruto and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

In a statement on Thursday, May 15, Otieno said the duo do not represent real change, describing them as 'two sides of the same rotten coin.’

According to him, the new political alliances forming around them are not new ideas, but the same old politics in a different form.

"Gachagua and Ruto are just two sides of the same rotten coin. What we’re witnessing isn’t change, it’s a remix of the same tired script.

"Ruto aligned with Raila, Gachagua grabbed Karua. Same system, same greed, just different faces hustling for power. No saviours, just seat-switchers," Otieno stated.

Recently, Gachagua expressed his willingness to work with prominent opposition figures, including Fred Matiang’i, Martha Karua, Kalonzo Musyoka and Eugene Wamalwa.

According to Gachagua, this alliance aims to present a formidable challenge to Ruto’s administration in the upcoming 2027 general elections.

File image of Eugene Wamalwa, Rigathi Gachagua, Martha Karua, Kalonzo Musyoka, Fred Matiang'i, Mukhisa Kituyi, Mithika Linturi, Justin Muturi and Torome Saitoti

The alliance was marked by a high-profile meeting in Nairobi on April 29, 2025, where Gachagua welcomed Matiang’i and former Cabinet Secretaries, Mithika Linturi and Justin Muturi into the fold.

“The team to liberate Kenya gets bigger every day. Welcome, Dr. Fred Matiang’i, Hon. JB Muturi and Hon. Mithika Linturi. You are on the right side of history," he said.

Meanwhile, Ruto entered into a working partnership with opposition leader Raila Odinga under the broad-based government framework.

The two agreed on 10 key issues that affect Kenyans including the full implementation of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report.

“Priority issues in the NADCO report like the cost of living, youth unemployment, establishing a framework for the implementation of the two-thirds gender rule have been the topic of discussion for far too long and now must be actualized,” the agreement reads in part.

Ruto and Raila also agreed on the inclusivity of all Kenyans regardless of ethnicity, religion, and geographic location.

“Kenya belongs to all persons regardless of their ethnicity, religion or geographic location, all Kenyans are equal and all entitled to an equitable budgetary resource allocation and public appointments,” the MoU stated.