Let us give credit where it is due. President William Ruto may have played one of the longest political games against his former Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua, and patience appears to have been his greatest weapon.
When Gachagua was impeached, he became the darling of the media. Every television station wanted him, every newspaper wanted his comments, and every political gathering provided him with an opportunity to attack Ruto.
He talked about Ruto every day. Ruto this, Ruto that. He even dragged the President’s family into his political attacks, making increasingly sensational allegations.
But Ruto chose a different approach. He largely ignored him.
Instead of engaging in daily political exchanges, the President appeared comfortable allowing Gachagua to continue talking. And the more Gachagua spoke, the more familiar his attacks became to the public.
What initially looked like a powerful political comeback gradually risked becoming a predictable routine.
This week’s Wednesday engagement with KTN was a perfect illustration of that changing political dynamic. Gachagua’s media appearance did not generate the excitement that might have accompanied his earlier interviews. For many Kenyans, it was another opportunity to hear the familiar stories about Ruto.
That is perhaps the biggest political lesson in this unfolding drama: attention is a political currency, but it has a shelf life.
Gachagua may have enjoyed enormous media attention immediately after his impeachment, but constant attacks without a fresh political message risk turning even the most interesting politician into an ordinary voice.
One is left wondering what would have happened if Gachagua had exercised restraint, kept his political cards close to his chest and reserved his strongest attacks for the final three months before the 2027 General Election.
Would his message have carried greater weight? Would his political opponents have found it harder to anticipate his next move?
In politics, not every battle deserves an immediate response. Sometimes silence is strategy, patience is power, and timing determines everything.
Ruto seems to understand that lesson very well.
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