Kenya
Regional economic hub and diplomatic actor shaping East African integration and security policy.
Maarifa Yanayohusiana
Rigathi Gachagua Just Declared 'Gachagua Is King,' Not Kingmaker. A Court Still Hasn't Settled Whether He Can Run.
Rigathi Gachagua, Kenya's impeached former deputy president, used a 25 August event at his Democracy for Citizens Party's Nairobi headquarters to reject calls that he play kingmaker for the 2027 opposition, telling reporters 'Rigathi is not a kingmaker. Gachagua is king.' The same day, Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan defected from former President Uhuru Kenyatta's Jubilee Party to join DCP, declaring his own presidential ambition. Both moments unfolded while Gachagua's legal eligibility to run at all remains unresolved: the High Court upheld his impeachment on 8 June but found the Senate violated his right to a fair hearing, awarding him Sh50 million in damages, and both he and the Senate have since appealed different halves of that ruling to the Court of Appeal, with no hearing date yet set.
26 August 2026
Ruto Accused His Predecessor of Bankrolling the Opposition. Uhuru's Answer Came at a Dead Vice President's Memorial.
President William Ruto has repeatedly accused retired President Uhuru Kenyatta of bankrolling Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and other opposition figures ahead of Kenya's 2027 general election, telling audiences he is 'not scared' of the challenge. Sifuna says Ruto has admitted under pressure that his only source for the claim is media reports. Uhuru broke his silence on 23 August at the memorial service for former Vice President Kijana Wamalwa in Kitale, denying he is a 'sponsor,' saying he has no interest in any government seat, and warning against political intimidation ahead of the vote.
24 August 2026