Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga has strongly criticized former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, accusing him of taking advantage of the recent Gen Z protests to position himself for political power ahead of the 2027 general elections. Speaking at a public event in Rangwe Constituency, Governor Wanga alleged that Gachagua is manipulating the anger and frustration of young people to advance his personal ambitions.
According to Wanga, the demonstrations held across major cities on June 25, which marked the anniversary of the 2024 Gen Z uprising against the Finance Bill, were not spontaneous acts of youthful discontent. Instead, she believes they were carefully orchestrated by politicians seeking to create instability within the government. She pointed to Gachagua as one of the key figures allegedly pulling the strings behind the scenes.
“These protests are not just about the youth expressing their frustrations. They are being used as a smokescreen by certain leaders who want to climb to power without going through the ballot,” she stated, insisting that anyone seeking leadership should wait until the next election cycle.
Wanga emphasized that while the youth have legitimate grievances, their voice and energy should not be hijacked by leaders with self-serving motives. She warned against using protests as a cover for political maneuvering and destabilization of the constitutional order.
Highlighting incidents such as the death of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang’ while in police custody and the fatal shooting of hawker Boniface Kariuki by police in Nairobi, Wanga acknowledged the real pain driving many young Kenyans to the streets. However, she cautioned against allowing this pain to be weaponized by opportunistic politicians.
“Let no one pretend these protests are purely innocent. There are people hiding behind our youth, funding chaos, and trying to manufacture a crisis,” she said, reaffirming her party’s commitment to constitutionalism and inclusive governance.
Wanga underscored that the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), which she chairs, supports a broad-based approach to leadership involving cooperation among all political parties. She warned that attempts to seize power through unrest and manipulation would not be tolerated.
Backing her sentiments, Rangwe Member of Parliament Dr. Lilian Gogo urged politicians to respect the youth and not use them as pawns for political games. She stated that while peaceful protests are a constitutional right, they should be driven by a desire for genuine change rather than the ambitions of power-hungry leaders.
“Let our youth protest if they must but let them do it to bring real change, not to push someone else’s hidden agenda,” she concluded.
