Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has come out strongly in defense of retired President Uhuru Kenyatta, cautioning leaders against launching indirect political attacks on the former Head of State. Speaking from his Wamunyoro residence over the weekend, Gachagua criticized unnamed individuals within the Kenya Kwanza administration for using proxies to malign Uhuru instead of addressing him directly.
“You have sent people to attack our leader, the fourth President of the Republic of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta. Stop sending your puppets, do it yourself,” Gachagua said. He emphasized that the former President deserved respect and warned that he would personally shield Uhuru from future political onslaughts.
The remarks came shortly after Uhuru broke his silence during a wedding event for Kimoi, son of KANU chairman Gideon Moi, where he explained his recent political reticence. Uhuru noted that his attempts to speak out had often resulted in backlash. “These days, I don’t have much to say. Nobody wants to listen to a politician who, every time he opens his mouth, seems to get himself in trouble with the powers that be,” Uhuru remarked.
Gachagua’s sentiments were echoed in a rare political gathering at his residence, which brought together key opposition figures including Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i, PLP’s Martha Karua, DAP-K’s Eugene Wamalwa, and former Cabinet Secretaries Justin Muturi and Mithika Linturi. Also in attendance was former MP Kabando wa Kabando.
The mounting criticism against Uhuru from certain Kenya Kwanza leaders follows his recent speech at the Guild Leaders’ Summit at Makerere University, where he encouraged youth to actively engage in shaping Africa’s destiny. “You are the last line of defence in the battle to rescue the heart and soul of Africa,” he told the gathering.
Some government allies interpreted his remarks as an attempt to incite the youth against the current administration, though Uhuru did not mention Kenyan politics directly.
Gachagua’s latest comments signal a possible reconfiguration of political alliances and a renewed effort to protect the legacy of the former President amid ongoing political tensions.
