Some political ideas die because they lose elections. The Hustler Nation suffered a much stranger fate. It won, and victory became the beginning of its death. After William Ruto’s victory in 2022, the Hustler Nation died a violently painful and uncomfortable death. What many of us thought would catapult Ruto further
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has received a significant legal reprieve in the debate over his continued involvement in politics. On Monday, September 21, 2026, the High Court declared unconstitutional provisions of the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act that restricted retired presidents from engaging in active politics. The decision has reopened an
Rigathi Gachagua wants Smartmatic to stay. I find that very interesting. Not because there is anything inherently sinister about wanting continuity in election technology. Rigathi’s public argument is actually perfectly sensible. We are less than a year from an election, Smartmatic already knows the Kenyan system, the data already exists, migration
Kenyan elections are often discussed in terms of voting blocs, regions and who has the biggest following. But when it comes to the presidency, there is a specific constitutional formula that determines whether a candidate wins in the first round. It is commonly referred to as “50% + 1 ”.
Rigathi Gachagua may have made a rather unusual political mistake: he became fully formed too early. There are still eleven months to the election, yet we already know almost everything there is to know about this version of Rigathi. His grievance, his constituency, his party, his enemies, his ambition and,
The rallies are growing. The crowds are impressive. The rhetoric is getting sharper. But one question remains: is Edwin Sifuna ready to take on President William Ruto? Sifuna has emerged as one of the most visible voices in Kenya's opposition politics. His appeal, particularly among younger and urban voters, is
There is a recurring temptation in Kenyan political analysis to explain a sudden political ascent by examining the man. His biography, his education, his financial muscle, his networks, his debts. It is a natural instinct, politics, after all, is conducted by human beings, and human beings have histories. But occasionally,
The possible emergence of Wycliffe Oparanya as the replacement for Oburu Oginga could introduce a new and potentially significant dynamic into the 2027 presidential contest. If the emerging alignment ultimately produces a William Ruto–Oparanya ticket facing a Kalonzo Musyoka–Edwin Sifuna ticket, the battle for the Luhya vote would become one
There is a particular species of political animal that Kenya's presidential elections produce with reliable periodicity, an animal that no one saw coming, that the analysts did not factor into their projections, that the pundits dismissed or simply failed to notice, and that ends up, improbably, sitting one heartbeat from
With the 2027 General Election approaching, one question surrounding former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is whether his impeachment could prevent him from running for president. The answer is not yet settled. While the Constitution sets out circumstances in which a person can be barred from holding public office, the effect of