Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has been a man on a warpath, picking up fights with virtually anyone who dares to cross his path or comes his way.
Whether it is a politician within the ruling Kenya Kwanza Alliance, a leader in the opposition, or even an ordinary citizen, Gachagua has not been one to shy away from speaking his mind and making his opinions known.
Currently the country’s second most powerful and prominent politician, owing to his position as the deputy president, the DP has been a busy man.
It all started soon after he assumed office when, to the surprise of many people, Gachagua took on former President Uhuru Kenyatta, accusing the former Head of State of frustrating leaders opposed to his then-candidate of choice for the presidency.
The jabs would soon extend to leaders in the opposition outfit – Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition, whom the DP accused of a scheme to sabotage the government of President William Ruto.
He would later launch another attack on leaders allied to the ruling alliance, accusing some leaders of the coalition of a plot to drive a wedge between him and President Ruto and scuttle his quest to unite the Mt Kenya vote.
DP Gachagua is a man who, in an attempt to make a mark for himself, has, in many ways, created enemies on many fronts. His occasional gaffes and public utterances have sometimes put him at loggerheads with other leaders and the general public.
To a casual observer, DP Gachagua is a man who, in an attempt to make a mark for himself, has, in many ways, created enemies on many fronts.
Not to forget his occasional gaffes and public utterances that have sometimes put him at loggerheads with other leaders and the general public.
“I think that one of the things that we can derive from the conduct of the deputy president is that he has been a man on a mission to stamp his authority and prove his position as the DP.
“We all saw this when he took on former President Uhuru Kenyatta during the inauguration in the presence of other dignitaries, including a host of presidents of other countries,” political and governance commentator Mark Bichachi told the Nairobi Law Monthly.
Indeed, DP Gachagua has been a man on a mission. Just two months ago, in October, the DPÂ took on senior Kenya Kwanza leaders from the Mt Kenya region, accusing them of dividing the region for personal gain.
Gachagua made the statements after National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichungwah, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria, Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, and former Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri skipped his unity meetings in the region and even promised to name and shame them in public.
Months earlier, Gachagua and Kuria had been engaged in a war of words, which some critics linked to the transfer of Kuria from the powerful trade and investment committee to that of public service.
This is after Gachagua publicly castigated Kuria and other leaders in government for ridiculing Kenyans complaining over the high cost of living.
“Seniority in government doesn’t qualify him (Gachagua) as the kingpin. What of those who didn’t vote for him but voted for Martha Karua and Raila Odinga’s candidature? People should not fight over such an issue,” Kuria said.
Aside from Kuria, the DP has also been picking up fights with Ichung’wa and Nyoro, who have been conspicuously missing in his unity campaigns, meetings, and tours in the Mt Kenya region.
Gachagua has, for the better part of the year, been making forays to various parts of Mt Kenya, holding meetings as he moves to assert his authority and position as President William Ruto’s point man.
Guised as a campaign to address the illicit consumption of alcohol, the tours last month finally culminated in what became a crowning moment for Gachagua when he declared himself the de facto leader of Mt Kenya. He also promised to deliver a resounding voter turnout in favour of President Ruto in 2027.
“The mountain has one leader, selected and anointed by God, Rigathi Gachagua, and voted in by 7.2 million Kenyans,” the DP said. He also added that he was on a drive to reach out to everyone in the region, including former President Kenyatta.
Aside from the campaigns, Gachagua has also been on the receiving end for many of his public utterances, especially those touching on allocating resources and jobs in government.
In October, the DP was forced to publicly apologise over claims that the Kenya Kwanza administration was like a shareholding company where only those who overwhelmingly voted for President Ruto would be awarded jobs and resources.
Before that, he had been involved in a public spat with the opposition, including trashing the bi-partisan talks between Kenya Kwanza and Azimio as a waste of time.
He also accused opposition leader Raila Odinga of blackmailing President Ruto for payment to halt the anti-government protests that the opposition outfit had called for earlier in the year.
Some observers now contend that the conduct of the DP could also be due to his restlessness over the possibility of political realignments, especially after the just concluded bi-partisan talks and the 2027 elections.
“Politics in Kenya is very unpredictable, and I think the DP has become aware of that. We see him busy trying to make forays and assert his authority, especially in the Mount Kenya region. But how he has been doing this has created a lot of enemies. It could work both ways for him,” said Mr Bichachi.