By Anderson Ojwang
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, for the first time after his impeachment, shared a platform with his former boss President William Ruto at a burial in Ol Kalou, Nyandarua County, and sent a conflicting and mixed signal.
Gachagua told President Ruto there was a possibility they could work together in future because he, Gachagua, was an old man.
“When you go to Luo land, don’t abuse us as tribalists. We can still work with you. I am an old man,” he said.
Gachagua said the Mt Kenya community supported and voted for President Ruto and that he should look for peace with the community.
“Look for peace with the Mt Kenya community. We did not vote for you because you were called Njoroge or Kamau but Kipchirchir arap Ruto out of love. You have 14 months to work for the region and seek peace,” he said.
But Ruto responded that he is aware that he was voted for by Mt Kenya and that he knows what he is doing.
“Do not bring me your wars with other people. I don’t ask permission to go anywhere in this country. I will go to any place I want, and I don’t ask for permission,” he said.
He told the people of Mt Kenya not to be blackmailed and not to worship a fellow human being.
“I will answer my opponents through development. At the moment, I am still working for Kenyans. When the time for campaigns comes, I will show them dust,” he said.
He said the media had speculated that the burial would be confrontational.
Gachagua warned the mourners and the residents that President Ruto deserves respect and that he doesn’t want to hear any shouts of “Ruto must go.”
“Today is a solemn moment. I want the president to speak and you give him respect. I don’t want to hear anyone shouting ‘one term,'” he said.
He said Mt Kenya loved and respected Ruto but he betrayed them, and that will be sorted out at the 2027 general elections.
“Ruto has come in good faith. Let us respect him. Let him speak and go,” he said.
Gachagua then turned to lamentation, accusing President Ruto of chasing him from his office to Wamunyoro.
“You chased me, and I went to Wamunyoro. We are listening to the ground, and we will sort our differences at the ballot,” he said.
Gachagua told President Ruto that before he was impeached and when they still worked together, he had warned him that his political mentees from Mt Kenya would lead him into a pit.
“I warned you these boys would lead you to the pit. In my community, we don’t forgive betrayal. You betrayed them and me,” he said.
He said the Mt Kenya community has rejected him because of betrayal and he will not get their votes.
Recently Ruto and Gachagua had engaged in a bare-knuckle fight of body shaming and public abuses.
In a recent burial in Kirinyaga, Gachagua apologized to former president Uhuru Kenyatta and Mt Kenya for misleading them to vote for Ruto.
Gachagua dismissed allegations that he cannot work with former president Uhuru, terming them as wishful thinking.
“They say Uhuru cannot work with Riggy. You think you are one of us. You don’t know us. We are a family, and Uhuru is my elder brother,” he said.
Gachagua said he diligently served Uhuru as a personal assistant and highly respects him.
“I have been Uhuru’s personal assistant. I have worked with him for 20 years. We only differed for three years,” he said.
Gachagua said it was President William Ruto who sowed a seed of division between Uhuru and him and that now they have reconciled and remain as a family.
“It is you who divided us. You came with a bible and conned us. I blame myself. I misled my people. I want to tell our people that we must be very smart not to allow Ruto to divide us along Mt Kenya East and West. I cannot allow him. Kikuyu and Meru are one community,” he said.
Gachagua said the Mt Kenya community cannot make the mistake of 1992, when former president Daniel Moi divided the two leading leaders, the late Mwai Kibaki of the Democratic Party and the late Kenneth Matiba of Ford-Asili, and they lost in the presidential election.
