Gachagua in unfamiliar territory as 'mobiliser of demonstrations'

To Kenya Kwanza’s administration, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is the bogeyman responsible for the government’s inefficiencies and the root cause of all the troubles facing President William Ruto’s government.

Gachagua inherited this bogeyman title from ODM leader Raila Odinga, who has transitioned from being a ‘career’ government critic to a supporter. Before his handshake with President Ruto, the ODM party leader was, according to government apologists, an existential threat to the country’s peace and stability.

Before Raila shook hands with former President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2018 and before his ODM party entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the ruling UDA party, he was labelled with all sorts of names to justify the government’s failure to honour its pledges to the people.

To government functionaries, Raila was the lord of poverty, the king of violence and an economic saboteur-in-chief who incited violence in a bid to enter government through the back door. When he swore himself in as the people’s president in 2018, he was accused of attempting a coup, and some of his allies like Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang’ were charged with treason.

However, following the truce between Raila and Ruto, roles were reversed. Gachagua became an imaginary monster responsible for all government failures.

Funding protests

Gachagua is now portrayed as the new lord of violence, a tribalist and inciter. He is framed as an impediment to peace and tranquillity in the country who belongs in jail.

The impeached Deputy President has been accused of inciting and funding protests.

The National Assembly adjourned its business to discuss Gachagua’s character, with Majority Leader Junet Mohammed describing him as ‘mad’ due to his ‘divisive politics and incitement’ over his Christmas party remarks.

The term ‘mad’ was also applied to Raila during the Jubilee regime in an attempt to create Raila-phobia, particularly in the Mt Kenya region, while terms such as ‘stone-throwing community’ were used to refer to his followers.

MPs have twice discussed Gachagua’s conduct in the National Assembly, directing the National Cohesion and Integration Commission to arrest and charge him over his warning that if the 2027 elections are rigged, the post-election violence of 2007 would seem like a ‘‘Christmas party’’.

Last month, legislators termed Gachagua’s remarks as evil, maintaining that he should be behind bars for comments they deemed dangerous for the country.

South Mugirango MP Silvanus Osoro, calling the remarks inciteful and dangerous, demanded Gachagua’s arrest on charges of incitement, saying he needed to be stopped from travelling around the country.

The leaders were responding to an adjournment motion by Mohammed, who had sought time to discuss Gachagua’s remarks.

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah disparaged the former second-in-command, describing him as a dark man with a black heart, dark soul and very evil mind.

“I dare say today, this is not just a man with a dark heart but a very dark soul - so dark that this man believes the deaths of Kenyans, the bloodshed this country witnessed in 2007, as unfortunate as it was, could be equated to a ‘Christmas party’,” the Kikuyu MP submitted.

Rarieda MP Otiende Amolo urged the National Assembly to consider pushing for a court process to examine the impeachment details to declare Gachagua unfit for public office.

“I want to urge this House through its lawyers to insist the court examines the merits of that matter to declare whether Parliament was wrong, including regarding fitness to hold office. I think it’s time we re-examined that matter,” the MP said.

The MP also threatened to bring a motion to ban Gachagua from contesting public office in Kenya for allegedly spreading divisive politics.

“If you continue speaking that divisive language, we will return with a special motion under Article 75(3), which declares that anyone removed from office under Article 75 cannot stand for any office again. Don’t think there are no consequences. There will be consequences if you continue with divisive language,” warned the MP.

This past week, Gachagua’s name surfaced in the National Assembly as he was accused of sponsoring goons to infiltrate peaceful demonstrations to destroy property and businesses, including those of his political rivals.

“What happened yesterday in our country wasn’t normal demonstrations. It wasn’t a Gen-Z demonstration. It was a political event meant to overthrow the Constitution and existing governance,” said Junet.

“There was property destruction in Nyeri, Nyandarua, Kikuyu and Nyamakima, and that tells you who the chief goon is... Mr Rigathi Gachagua,” Junet Mohammed said in his motion.

Seconding the motion, Ichung’wah claimed the chaos included an attempt on his parents’ lives.

“Yesterday, there was an attempt to kill my 105-year-old father and 85-year-old mother... I dare say today in this House, Hon Rigathi Gachagua directed these goons,” claimed Ichung’wah, without providing evidence.

Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire accused Gachagua of allegedly sponsoring violent groups to infiltrate recent youth-led protests and cause widespread destruction in Embu town and Kiritiri.

“I’m tired of constant sabotage. These protests were hijacked and weaponised to paint my government as weak, yet we know where the orders came from,” Mbarire said.

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku accused Gachagua of orchestrating what he called “planned terrorism, havoc and destruction” disguised as peaceful demonstrations.

“The people of Kenya won’t allow individuals with selfish interests to destroy our hard-earned peace and stability. You can’t attain leadership by dividing the nation. There’s no benefit in seeking power through polarisation and balkanisation,” Ruku said.

Gachagua’s critics question why he couldn’t prevent Gen Z-led protests from turning violent and destroying property, mostly belonging to his Mt Kenya region constituents, despite claiming to support the protesters.

However, Gachagua’s allies dismissed attempts to link him with the protests, urging the government to address national issues instead.

Gatanga MP Edward Muriu said: “We must understand why the country is angry — youth unemployment, overtaxation, government refusal to listen. Yesterday they blamed Raila for sabotage, today it’s Gachagua. Unless we address these issues, the blame game will continue.”

In a Friday NTV interview, Gachagua denied funding goons to infiltrate Gen Z protests and criticised Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen’s coup claims.

“I don’t know how fragile this government is that the Interior CS walks Nairobi streets in the morning talking about an attempted coup. If they had intelligence I paid goons, why weren’t they arrested? If they were my goons, they’d be dead or in custody today. Why supervise chaos? How did they allow goons to attack a police station with prior intelligence? The CS must respect Kenyans,” he said.

Regarding the protests, Gachagua noted real goons emerged after 6pm when looting occurred in darkness under police supervision after live broadcasts ended, which is why they weren’t harmed.

“If someone had funded them, they’d have been arrested and made to confess by now. No action was taken despite police presence,” he said.

The former DP said he deliberately stayed home during protests to avoid giving credence to accusations of financing them.

“I’ve never financed Gen Z, though I support their cause against abductions and extrajudicial killings. I didn’t join protests because they’re apolitical. Had I appeared, it would have fuelled ridiculous accusations,” he said.

First anniversary

He called claims about his involvement “totally misinformed”, saying the government is avoiding the truth and worsening its troubles by burying its head in the sand.

“What happened on Wednesday marked the first anniversary of the 2024 Gen Z massacre presided over by President Ruto and executed by Kithure Kindiki. The 2024 protests were spontaneous, opposing the Finance Bill, mismanagement, corruption and impunity,” he said.

Gachagua insisted the government must stop taking people for granted, noting that planned activities would have been detected by National Intellegience Service (NIS).

“It’s not my responsibility to arrest goons. I lack that capacity. Why have many protesters been arrested or killed, but not a single goon shot or arrested?” he concluded.According to Gachagua, the government must stop taking people for granted, insisting that if these activities were planned, NIS would have been able to pick it.

He said it is not his responsibility to arrest goons and does not have that capacity and wondered why up to date, many protesters were arrested, others killed but claimed that not a single goon was shot or arrested.

“If they know they were organised by so and so, why did you allow them to terrorise Kenyans and destroy property, what have you done since they did that. Why didn’t you deal with them on the spot? The evidence is that when you see goons in police vehicles, who owns the vehicles, that is the State.

‘‘If you see goons wreaking havoc and the police are just watching, you do not need rocket science to know who has sponsored the goons.’’