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‘Tribal king’: DP Kindiki tells off Gachagua over new party
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki makes his speech during the Kigumo Constituency Economic Empowerment Programme for Women and Youth groups, Murang'a County on May 16, 2025.
What you need to know:
- Prof Kindiki spoke a day after Mr Gachagua launched the Democracy for Citizens Party.
- The Deputy President accused Mr Gachagua and his allies of pushing the tribal narrative.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki on Friday told off his impeached predecessor Rigathi Gachagua, terming him as a “tribal king” worth no interest.
Prof Kindiki spoke a day after Mr Gachagua launched the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP).
It is that party that Mr Gachagua has vowed to lead Mt Kenya voters into, build alliances with regional leaders and eventually campaign to oust President William Ruto in 2027.
"We in President Ruto's camp are also politicians like you and the worst you can do is to demean us," Prof Kindiki told Mr Gachagua.
Prof Kindiki said Mr Gachagua and his group of loyalists have segmented the country into two formations, one that is pushing the tribal narrative and those pushing for development.
He spoke in Kigumo Constituency, Murang'a County, where he hosted area leaders in an economic empowerment programme for area marginalized people.
The meeting was boycotted by area MP Joseph Munyoro who belongs to Gachagua's camp.
Prof Kindiki also took time to advise Mathira MP Eric Wamumbi to always apply wisdom while at his in-laws’.
Mr Wamumbi is married to Murang'a Woman Representative Ms Betty Maina who hails from Kigumo.
"It is wisdom, it is about being clever. When in the ground of the in-laws, your speech should be guarded and shorter," Prof Kindiki said.
Mr Wamumbi is known for his bare knuckled verbal attacks on Mr Gachagua.
On Thursday, while in Molo constituency, Prof Kindiki had said there is nothing extraordinary in someone founding a political party.
"My only problem with some of these people launching their parties is announcing that they are forming them for their tribes and for their own beliefs. Let us have national parties," Prof Kindiki said.
"We cannot build our nation with retrogressive politics of dividing the people along whatever lines. For now we are keeping those tribal chiefs pending and the time for politics will come so that we can engage and those with convincing agenda will triumph," he said.
Prof Kindiki donated Sh5 million that included Sh3 million from President Ruto.
"These are people who do not want the citizens to benefit from their government. People who cannot spare their political speeches to articulate on education, health, housing, coffee, milk, tea...They want the citizens to remain in politicking with no economic agenda," he said.
The DP raised concern that among Mr Gachagua followers are elected leaders, who have abdicated their service delivery contract with the people and instead adopted baseless politics that does not improve the life.
Maragua MP Mary Wa Maua, who last month decamped from Gachagua side to President Ruto's side, accused her former allies of hypocrisy.
"I can tell you for free that they usually camp with Gachagua during the day but are with the government at night. I challenge them to cease this hypocrisy," she said.
But Murang'a Senator Joe Nyutu, who is an ally of the former Deputy President, told the Nation that Ms Wamaua should not drag her opponents into every speech.
"Let us agree that you are campaigning in Ruto's camp and we are campaigning in Gachagua's formation," he said.