Kenya’s bitter rivalry between President William Ruto and his former deputy Rigathi Gachagua has flared again, nine months before the general election that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Kenya’s election authority, has set for Tuesday 10 August 2027. On Sunday 1 November Gachagua used a church service to accuse Ruto and Kimani Ichung’wah, the majority leader of the National Assembly, of pressuring church leaders.
The head of Kenya’s Catholic bishops’ conference had already told political leaders to stop trading public insults, in a speech in March. For US readers, Kenya is a major non-NATO ally, a US designation for close partners outside the NATO alliance, so the rivalry is likely to matter to diplomats and investors.
Key Facts
·Who. President William Ruto and Rigathi Gachagua, his deputy until impeached and removed in October 2024.
·What. On 1 November 2026 Gachagua accused Ruto and majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah of pressuring clergy.
·Where. Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) church at Kamangu, Kikuyu constituency, Kiambu County.
·Context. In March 2026 the head of Kenya’s Catholic bishops’ conference told leaders to stop public insults.
·Next. Kenya’s election authority, the IEBC, has confirmed the general election for Tuesday 10 August 2027.
·As of 12 November 2026, 03:00 GMT
What Gachagua Said at Kamangu
Speaking at a service of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) in Kamangu, Kikuyu constituency, on Sunday 1 November 2026, Gachagua said Ruto and Kimani Ichung’wah were intimidating church leaders. Ichung’wah is the member of parliament (MP) for Kikuyu and the majority leader of the National Assembly, Kenya’s lower house.
Gachagua alleged that the church’s presbytery, its regional governing council, had pressured the local pastor over hosting him. These are his allegations, and we found no independent confirmation.
Why Churches Are a Political Battleground
On Sunday 25 January 2026 a service that Gachagua attended at the Anglican Church of Kenya’s Witima church in Othaya, Nyeri County, was disrupted by tear gas, which Gachagua blamed on police and the government. Ruto later urged politicians to keep politics out of places of worship.
On 19 March 2026 Archbishop Maurice Muhatia of Kisumu, who chairs the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops, told political leaders: “This country belongs to more than 50 million Kenyans and not only to yourselves.” He spoke at a church ceremony in Machakos while Ruto and Gachagua were trading insults in public.
Who Is Gachagua?
Gachagua was elected deputy president alongside Ruto in 2022. The National Assembly, the lower house, impeached him (voted to remove him) on 8 October 2024, and the Senate removed him on 17 October 2024, and he now campaigns against the president ahead of the 2027 vote.
What It Means for You
Kenya votes on Tuesday 10 August 2027, in a country the United States named a major non-NATO ally in 2024. The rivalry between Ruto and Gachagua is likely to matter to US diplomats and to investors in Kenyan markets.
Our explainer on who can challenge Ruto and our report on how prices test his re-election bid give more background. More is in our Kenya coverage.
What Is Not Known
We found no reply from Ruto or Ichung’wah to the Kamangu allegations, and no evidence beyond Gachagua’s own account of pressure on the pastor. We also cannot say whether Ruto and Gachagua will both be candidates in 2027, since neither has been confirmed as a presidential candidate.
What to Watch
Watch whether Ruto or Ichung’wah answer the church allegations, and whether the bishops repeat their March call for restraint. The IEBC has set the vote for Tuesday 10 August 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Rigathi Gachagua?
Gachagua was Kenya’s deputy president from 2022 until the Senate removed him on 17 October 2024. He is now an opposition figure.
When is Kenya’s next general election?
Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has set the election for Tuesday 10 August 2027. The vote will elect the president, Parliament and county governors.
Why do churches matter in Kenyan politics?
Sunday services bring large crowds together every week, so politicians use them to reach voters. Bishops have also used church platforms to call for restraint, as Archbishop Muhatia did on 19 March 2026.
Sources: remarks by Rigathi Gachagua at PCEA Kamangu, 1 November 2026; remarks by Archbishop Maurice Muhatia, Machakos, 19 March 2026; National Assembly and Senate proceedings, October 2024; Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, iebc.or.ke.
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