Kenya’s political contest ahead of the 2027 General Election is increasingly being fought not only through competing policy positions and development claims, but also through a growing exchange of personal jibes, ridicule and carefully crafted nicknames.
The latest confrontation between President William Ruto and his former deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, has brought this trend into sharp focus, with the two leaders trading labels that capture their bitter political fallout: “Mr Texas” and “Mr Taxes”.
What began as a partnership that helped propel Kenya Kwanza to power in 2022 has turned into an open political confrontation, with both men seeking to undermine the other’s credibility and influence as the next election approaches.
The verbal exchange is more than a contest in political humour. It reflects a deeper struggle over Mt Kenya’s political direction, the President’s record in office, the opposition’s ability to organise and the growing battle to win over younger voters.
During his recent tour of the Gusii region, Ruto directed some of his sharpest remarks at Gachagua, accusing the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader of intimidating emerging politicians and interfering with the ambitions of younger leaders.
The President portrayed his former deputy as a politician who should allow a new generation to take over leadership, arguing that those who have spent years in public office should prepare to leave the political stage.
In the process, he revived the “Mr Texas” tag, a reference to Gachagua’s links to the United States state, where the former deputy president has spoken about owning a home.Gachagua responded by turning the attack back on the Head of State, branding him “Mr Taxes” — a label intended to draw attention to the government’s taxation policies and the economic pressure facing households and businesses.
The exchange has since become a shorthand for a political rivalry in which each leader is attempting to define the other before voters make their next decision at the ballot box.&
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