By Anderson Ojwang
Impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has ungloved
for a battle with his former boss President William Ruto and has
embarked on a mission to fence the Murima from outsiders and
‘unwanted visitors’.
Rigathi could be reading from the old script of the first vice president
the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, who resigned from the
government of the founding President the late Mzee Jomo
Kenyatta.
Odinga fenced the Luo community from the Kenyatta
government, through attending funerals, church services,
wedding and various cultural events in the region to decampaign
against President Kenyatta’s regime.
The strategy was so effective that President Kenyatta and
subsequent regimes were viewed as anti-community, with
Nyanza suffering marginalization.
Odinga became the sole spokesperson in Nyanza and the mantle
has remained closely guarded by his family with his scion, Raila
Odinga, upstaging the then Ford-K vice chair and the heir
apparent James Orengo to the throne.
Currently, Rigathi is closely rewriting and reinventing the wheels
to lock out President Ruto from Murima handed him
Presidency in the 2022 general elections.
Rigathi led President Ruto’s brigades in Murima in the last
general elections to make the then-president Uhuru Kenyatta and
his candidate Raila Odinga to eat the humble pie.
Rigathi stood out during the campaigns to deconstruct President
Uhuru and his high voltage team in the Murina hand Ruto the
much-needed votes to cruise to the victory.
For instance, in Kirinyaga County, the home turf of Raila’s running
mate Martha Karua, Ruto got 84 percent of the votes accounting
for 220,752 votes while Raila got a paltry of14 percent
accounting for 37,978 of the votes.
In Kiambu County, the home ground of President Uhuru, Ruto
managed 72.9 percent of the votes amounting to 606,105 votes
while Raila only managed 25 percent accounting for 210,495
Again in Nyeri county, Rigathi’s village, Ruto received 82.79
percent of the votes amounting to 272,577 of the votes while
Raila got 15.3 percent accounting for 52,043 votes.
Finally, in Muranga Ruto got 81 percent of the votes accounting
for 343,421 while Raila got a paltry 17 percent which accounted
for 73,539 votes.
Using Odinga’s script, Rigathi has resorted to churches, funerals,
vernacular radio and TV stations in the Murima to whip the
residents to his new political ideology.
Rigathi is also employing the power of social media platforms to
reach the various political divides in his Murima.
Just like Odinga who ventured into Dholuo as the language of the
communication, Rigathi more often than not uses the Gikuyu
dialect to appeal to the people.
The local languages have coded messages and signals that are
best understood by the users of the language and this has a much better, safer and shrewd way of communicating and alienating the opponents from the discourse.
Rigathi in his recent speeches in the church and other functions
has promised to restore the dignity of Mt Kenya after he claimed
the Limuru funeral was aimed at killing him.
“We are planning, within a short time, we will reclaim back our
pride and dignity as a people.
It is true what you are saying the mountain is angry. It is not just
angry it is very angry. Why the mountain is very angry, is because it
is a betrayal.
We will plan as a community and within a short time we will
reclaim back our pride and dignity as a people,’ he said.
But former Nairobi Governor Ann Kananu who spoke on the local
vernacular FM station, Getu said “ I salute President Ruto for
appointing Prof Kindiki Kithure as deputy president and fostering
unity in the country. Gachagua should understand that when he
says “ the mountain the has been shaken “ he is not the
mountain. We do not want to divide the mountain. Let us not mix
politics with business and church matters”.
Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula in a recent TV interview
with KTN argued that the inclusion of former President Uhuru
Kenyatta in Ruto’s agenda will help the latter reclaim a huge stake
in the mountain.
“Uhuru holds a huge political constituency in Mt Kenya and the
decision by President Ruto to bring him into the fold is telling.
Rigathi will soon be rendered politically irrelevant by next year,”
he said.
On November 2, 2024, when he spoke during a funeral service of
Anna Wanjiru, grandmother of Baragwi mca David Mathenge, Rigathi said there was anxiety and confusion in the region after he was impeached.
” I am not quitting politics, my political ambition is unstoppable
and I ask my people who feel as if they have been left without a
leader to be patient. I will soon show them the political route to
follow;
Let my supporters prepare for the next elections with the
events of 2024 in mind. Religious leaders, residents and
professionals have been calling on me saying the region has
been left without a spokesperson. They want me to declare my
political stand. I want to tell them I am holding discussions with
opinion leaders and I will give them a clear direction at the right
time.
I will show you the way forward. I want our people not to fear at
all. God is faithful and can’t be defeated,” he said.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, who is angling to benefit from the
fall out in the Murima, claimed former President Uhuru will not
support Ruto’s second bid.
The question that begs an answer is whether Rigathi will be able
to fence off Murima from Ruto after his mtego failed him
disappointingly to snare Raila from State House or will Rigathi finally walk to Murima to the opposition to claim the seat that the lake has occupied for the past five decades?
