Gachagua Quits UDA Ahead Of Launch Of His New Party

With the launch of his new political party this week, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has formally resigned from the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party, six months after he was replaced by his successor, Kithure Kindiki, as deputy party leader.

Gachagua revealed this in his resignation letter dated Monday, May 12, a move that clears him to fully launch his political vehicle ahead of the 2027 general elections.

"By a copy of this letter, you are notified that I have officially resigned from the UDA Party with immediate effect," he wrote in part.

Kithure Kindiki attending the UDA NEC meeting on November 11, 2024. /PHOTO

Gachagua in his letter detailed the reasons behind his resignation, first revealing that he did so knowing that the ideals of the party the proponents and millions of Kenyans believed in had turned out "as the most dangerous political moment for the people and the Republic of Kenya in retrogressive philosophy of unfit class to govern our Nation".

According to him, UDA has exhausted and wasted a Kenyan moment to take off economically, socially and politically.

The former Deputy President called out the Kenya Kwanza manifesto, saying it had promised national unity, prosperity, justice, and economic inclusion—but instead, those pledges were abandoned and replaced with what he described as a “retrogressive philosophy.”

Referring to the five pillars of Kenya Kwanza’s development plan—Agriculture, MSMEs, Housing, Healthcare, and the Digital Economy—he slammed them as “centres of crime” with no real progress to show.

He also pointed to specific sectors he believes have collapsed, naming agriculture, healthcare, and housing as key failures.

“Our coffee and tea farmers would live happily; we had promised the country an increased foreign exchange, job creation, lower cost of living and food security; through this, we are being treated to no fertiliser for farmers, and grabbing of agricultural land by the powerful,” he lamented.

The former DP also accused the government of overstepping its constitutional limits, undermining devolution, and handling foreign policy in a way that has tarnished Kenya’s global reputation.

“We are now embroiled in conflicts and international shame with our friendly nations due to bad diplomacy,” he charged.

In January, the UDA sidelined Gachagua by officially publishing his removal as deputy party leader in the gazette, naming Kindiki as his replacement. This came after a meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).

Still, despite his impeachment in October 2024, Gachagua was never officially expelled from the party, hence today's resignation letter.

On Sunday, May 11, Gachagua announced that the party launch will kick off with a major celebration, marking a fresh start in his political journey.

He said the new party will be officially unveiled this week, almost seven months after his impeachment. Reports indicate that the launch could be set for Thursday, May 15, in an event that is expected to have the unveiling of the party name, slogan and colours.

There is still the quagmire of his impeachment case, but joy came his way temporarily after the Court of Appeal nullified Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu’s move to appoint a three-judge bench to hear consolidated petitions he filed to block Kindiki from taking office.

On October 18, 2024, Justice Mwilu named Justices Eric Ogola (presiding), Anthony Mrima, and Freidah Mugambi to hear the petitions filed by Gachagua and his allies against Parliament and Kindiki. But Gachagua challenged the appointments, arguing that Mwilu, as acting and not the substantive Chief Justice at the time, did not have the constitutional authority to form the bench.

Appellate Justices Daniel Musinga, Mumbi Ngugi, and Francis Tuiyott dismissed claims of bias against the judges but agreed that only Chief Justice Martha Koome is constitutionally empowered to constitute such a bench under Article 165(4) of the Constitution.