Mombasa Governor Abdullswamad Sherrif Nassir has strongly criticized former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua for his repeated remarks targeting ODM leader Raila Odinga. Speaking during a public event in Mombasa, Nassir accused Gachagua and his allies in the United Opposition of being fixated on Raila, turning every political rally into an anti-Raila campaign.
“It cannot be every day, Raila this, Raila that,” Nassir said. “He is not at your level.”
The governor’s comments came after Gachagua’s recent statements in Ukambani, where he dismissed allegations linking him and Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka to Raila’s reported health issues. Gachagua had sarcastically stated, “Neither Kalonzo nor I are a bacteria or a virus to cause illness to anyone.”
Nassir condemned the remarks, urging Gachagua to show respect for Raila’s decades-long contribution to Kenya’s democracy. “Whatever Raila has done for this country — even if it’s just a little — you cannot match. Stop talking about him,” Nassir declared.
He praised Raila as a freedom fighter who endured imprisonment and hardship for the nation’s democratic progress. “Everybody must know their level,” he added, insisting that the opposition should focus on issue-based politics rather than personality attacks.
The political war of words was triggered by an October 5 statement from the ODM Party, which accused Gachagua’s camp of spreading false reports about Raila’s health, including claims that he had travelled to Europe for medical treatment.
In response, Gachagua maintained that he wished Raila good health, asserting that he wanted both Raila and President William Ruto to face him in the 2027 elections. Meanwhile, Kalonzo’s Wiper Party distanced itself from the controversy, accusing ODM of hypocrisy and urging the party to address its internal disputes with Kenya Kwanza.
