After a series of public blunders that have made him an easy target for Azimio, Kenya Kwanza luminaries are racing against time to tame Rigathi Gachagua’s tongue.
“We are deeply concerned by Gachagua’s remarks and if he is not tamed, he will weaken the coalition and cost us votes.
“Since he was nominated, he has been making careless remarks, we have compiled all the remarks and we will be tabling them in our meeting with other principals,” Former PS and Farmers Party Chair Irungu Nyakera confirmed in May.
Shortly afte landing the running mate slot, Gachagua made his wishes known that in exchange for their votes, William Ruto should keep the doors of the Sagana state lodge and host the residents to a party with rice and beef flowing freely.
“Let us slaughter 35 bulls and cook copius amounts of rice to go with the beef. Our people don’t want anything else. This is what used to happen during the Moi era,” he urged the deputy president.
A few days later, Gachagua was at it again giving handouts to his friend, a rugged villager who interrupted Gachagua’s speech.
“Anasema nimpange mapema kuna mahali anaenda. Ni rafiki yangu anaitwa Muchangi…tuliagana na yeye 18 years ago that kila tukionanana nampa Sh1,000. Sasa ameniambia amengoja kutoka 10:00 a.m. na kuna mahali anataka kwenda na ameshindwa kungojea
“(He is my friend Muchangi, 18 years ago we agreed that every time we meet I’d give him Sh1,000. He was letting me know that he has been waiting since 10:00 a.m. and because he has somewhere else to go, he had to speak to me before he left),” Rigathi made light of the incident.
His tongue did not stop there. A few days later, he was at it again aiming at Safaricom with a statement that saw some allege that the remarks are a reflection of how the Kenya Kwanza brigade would crack down on investors should they win the August elections.
“Kenya Kwanza will grow the enterprises of small business people who constitute the majority instead of having giant corporates like Safaricom paying taxes, you can have such a company’s investment and create many smaller companies that will pay taxes.
“Their impact will be 30 times more than from just one big corporate. So we are not chasing big corporates. We are saying that even small and medium investors be taken care of,” Gachagua said in an interview with Inooro FM.
A video of the Mathira MP making his stand on independent candidates known and roping in Kenya Defence Forces recruitment to lure voters continued the worrying trend.
A video that went viral surfaced showing Gachagua telling his supporters that they should only vote UDA candidates as he will not engage any MP elected as an independent candidate should Kenya Kwanza form the government after the August 9 General Election.
To make the deal even sweeter, the lawmaker added areas that will vote UDA contestants will have an upper hand in the recruitment of officers to the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
“I want to advise you, if you want to benefit from our government, elect UDA contenders. UDA MPs will be coming to my office pick letters so that youths in their constituencies can join the military. If you pick independent candidates, how will they access me? I won’t have any business with them,” Gachagua said.
Next on the firing line were the police uniforms which he likened to the Women’s guild uniform and attracted the wrath of the clergy.
“Mumesumbuliwa sana na Matiang’i na Kibicho. Ata ile uniform ya blue ambayo hawataki, tutawaondolea tuwarudishie ile ya Kitambo. Hiyo ya blue tutarudishia kanisa ya PCEA. Hiyo ni uniform ya women’s guild.
“(You have gone through a lot at the hands of Matiang’i and Kibicho. We will change the blue uniform that our officers do not want and revert to the previous one. We will return the blue one to PCEA church. It is the uniform for the women’s guild),” he said at a Kenya Kwanza county economic forum in Nyandarua on Saturday, June 11.
