Senator Wahome Wamatinga says former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua should begin to put his house in order and stop blaming other leaders for his political woes.
Wamatinga says Rigathi has an uncanny attribute of turning a deaf ear to anyone holding divergent views from his, a flaw that cost him the second most powerful position in the country in October 2024.
The lawmaker alleged Rigathi’s newly formed Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) is also losing supporters due to the way its leader is making decisions unilaterally.
“Rigathi Gachagua rarely embraces criticism from anyone including those closest to him. This is quite clear from the way he used to equate any leader from Mount Kenya who disagreed with him to Africans who collaborated with British colonial administrators. For you to survive under his roof you must toe the line or ship out. It is not surprising his erstwhile supporters are now leaving in quick succession. And unless he embraces diversity, Rigathi risks being isolated as a leader,” said Wamatinga.
He was speaking on Inooro Kiririmbi TV show on Sunday night.
The Senator also dismissed claims that the Kenya Kwanza leadership was to blame for the many defections plaguing DCP and insisted that the buck stopped at the former DP’s doorstep.
Wamatinga has stated that those who are leaving Rigathi’s camp to go and support President Dr William Ruto are doing so out of their own volition and not through any inducement.
“Rigathi has been blaming the United Democratic Alliance for the growing list of leaders jumping ship from his party. But his current woes are his own making. Even those who remain in his party are only buying time. They too will abandon him at the opportune time,” he pointed out.
Among MPs said to have left the former DP include George Koimburi (Juja), Mary wa Maua (Maragua), Gathoni wa Muchomba (Githunguri), Njoki Njeru (Embu) and Muchangi Karemba (Runyenjes).
In November last year, Wamatinga had argued that Rigathi could still be in office had he listened to other leaders and remained loyal to the President.
In a candid interview on Kameme TV, the Senator alleged that the beginning of Rigathi’s fall from grace was out of his sheer contempt for the very people who had cheered him on in his meteoric rise to power.
The Senator termed the fallout between Rigathi and Dr Ruto as a watershed moment for the Mount Kenya region and nevertheless said the former DP could still reinvent himself and salvage his political fortunes.
“Rigathi Gachagua’s fallout with the President Dr William Ruto and his subsequent impeachment by Parliament were self-inflicted injuries. The duo had both fought hard in the campaign trenches before sweeping into power in 2022. Nothing had hindered Rigathi from pushing for the development of his region as long as he remained loyal, patient and focused. But he was restless and overambitious and soon forgot that you cannot talk while food is still in your mouth,” he pointed out.
The lawmaker accused the former second in command of being an authoritarian and intolerant leader towards leaders unwilling to obey his marching orders.
He claims that majority of those who fell out with Rigathi are men and women who only differed with him in opinion and who felt uncomfortable dancing to his every tune.
This, according to Wamatinga was the clearest indication that the former DP was not willing to accommodate divergent views from others or seek their counsel on matters affecting the people of Mount Kenya region.
“When the former DP realized some leaders from Nyeri and the Mount Kenya region were reluctant to dance to his every tune, he turned the heat on them. At one time it became even impossible to reach him even on a call. Personally I once had to endure long hours outside his office waiting for an appointment with him after he had ignored picking my calls. This is not how you win the hearts of people,” he argued.
Wamatinga has also defended Dr Ruto’s recent visits into the Mount Kenya region terming them a clear indicator that the region has not been neglected.
He told off those reading politics in the visits and insisted the delegations are part of the many development tours meant to ensure no area of the country is left behind.
He pointed out the latest in a series of visits by Dr Ruto in Kabiruini grounds as a case in point where more than 6,000 youth received Sh20,000 from the Government under the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement(NYOTA) programme.
The event was graced by the Head of State.“It is strange to note that those who are criticizing what the Kenya Kwanza government and the President is doing are still members of the United Democratic Alliance. Last week Dr Ruto did initiate several projects in Nyeri and promised to continue funding completion of key physical infrastructures such as the Sagana-Marua road which will now extend to Nyeri-Kiganjo and ultimately to Isiolo.
In addition, the President has already given nod to the construction of a county teaching and referral hospital surgical and oncology centre at a cost of Sh.1 billion. Those who are attacking the government should therefore stop doing so and evaluate the scorecard come 2027,’’ he said.
Early this month Wamatinga termed Dr Ruto one of the best revolutionary leaders Kenya has ever had, describing his leadership style as exceptional.
He said despite global economic shocks that have continued to dog many African countries following the aftermath of the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, Kenya’s economy has remained resilient amidst the storms.
He cited the drop in the cost of major food items such as maize flour from an all-time high of Sh 250 in 2022 to the current Sh 144 per 2 kilograms as a clear economic indicator of improved times where many families can now put food on their tables.
“As a country we have a lot to thank the President and his government including the many positive strides we are seeing as a country. A few years ago the Kenyan shilling was in a free fall against the US dollar. However today the same shilling has continued to defy critics and has remained bullish against the American dollar without any Government artificial manipulation. The move has also seen a drastic drop in inflation rates meaning life for many Kenyans is now becoming much more bearable compared to some years ago. This is something we all need to appreciate as a nation and as leaders,” he stated.
The lawmaker has also urged residents of Nyeri and those in the larger Central Kenya region to take stock of the many development projects being undertaken in the area by the government for the welfare of both current generation and posterity.
He said it was hypocritical for any leader worth his name to be criticising the government while ignoring the work which is currently going on.
“Here in Nyeri we have the dualling of the 84-kilometre Kenol-Sagana-Marua road project. The project is now expected to progress beyond Marua through Nyeri-Kiganjo –Nanyuki all the way to Isiolo to help open up the region to trade. These are the politics we need to be engaging in but not politicking for the sake of outdoing our opponents,” he claimed.
By Samuel Maina
