In the wake of the June 25, 2025, Rigathi Gachagua finds himself increasingly irrelevant, a political relic sidelined by a nation uniting beyond the ethnic divisions he once stoked.
As Kenyans from all walks of life—spanning 27 of 47 counties—marched to commemorate the 60 lives lost in the 2024 anti-Finance Bill demonstrations, Gachagua’s absence was conspicuous. His belated attempt to align with the youth-led movement, through his fledgling Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), reeks of opportunism, a desperate bid to reclaim relevance in a country that has moved decisively past his divisive rhetoric.
This is the story of a man whose ethnic playbook has been rejected by a Kenya forging a new path of unity.
The protests, marking the one-year anniversary of the 2024 demonstrations, were a powerful display of national solidarity. From Nairobi to Mombasa, Kenyans of diverse ethnic backgrounds took to the streets, unified by shared grievances over police brutality, economic hardship, and government overreach.
The protesters’ resolve held firm. Social media platforms like X buzzed with images of young Kenyans laying flowers for the fallen, their unity a stark rebuke to the tribalism Gachagua has long peddled. Posts on X captured the public’s sentiment: “Gachagua can’t join these mandamanos—whether he wants to or not. This is a national uprising, not his Mt. Kenya circus.”
Gachagua’s silence during the protests was deafening. While leaders like David Maraga and Okiya Omtatah stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Gen Z, honoring the memory of last year’s victims, Gachagua was nowhere to be seen.
Only after the dust settled did his DCP issue a statement condemning police brutality and demanding media freedom, a move critics dismissed as a hollow attempt to ride the coattails of a movement he neither joined nor inspired. This was not the first time Gachagua has lagged behind the national pulse. In 2023, as Deputy President, he dismissed protesters with disdain, famously sneering, “Do you want policemen to kiss you?” while praising security forces despite reported deaths. His post-impeachment pivot to a “reformed” critic of the same government he once loyally served only underscores his hypocrisy.
The former deputy president’s political strategy has long hinged on portraying himself as the savior of the Mount Kenya region, a narrative that crumbled during these protests. His Democracy for Citizens Party, launched in May 2025, has been criticized as a vehicle for tribal consolidation, The protests’ cross-ethnic unity—evident in the diverse crowds chanting for justice—exposed the futility of his approach. As one X user put it, “Gachagua believed Kenya is Murima and Murima is Kenya. That tribalist script is dead.” Kenyans, particularly Gen Z, have embraced a broader vision, rejecting leaders who reduce national aspirations to ethnic fiefdoms.
Gachagua’s attempts to reframe himself as a champion of the oppressed are faltering. His impeachment in October 2024, on charges including ethnic division and corruption, was a historic reckoning under Kenya’s 2010 Constitution. His claims of being a victim of President William Ruto’s machinations—while simultaneously admitting to following Ruto’s orders during his tenure—have only deepened public skepticism.
Sabina Chege’s scathing critique on television, accusing him of causing his own downfall through abrasive leadership and reckless attacks, resonates with a public weary of his contradictions. His belated apologies to Uhuru Kenyatta and Mama Ngina for past attacks, including the 2023 farm raid, are seen as crocodile tears, not genuine remorse.
As Kenya moves forward, Gachagua’s ethnic narrative is losing traction. The protests have galvanized a generation that prioritizes accountability and unity over tribal loyalties. His absence from the streets, coupled with his history of divisive rhetoric, has left him on the sidelines of a movement he cannot co-opt.
Kenyans are not the gullible audience he hopes for; their memory of his complicity in governance failures and his silence during their struggles remains sharp. As one X post declared, “Public memory is not short. Gachagua’s rebirth as a ‘saviour’ is a script Kenyans are rejecting.”
In this new Kenya, where youth-led protests have united communities across ethnic lines, Gachagua’s tribalism is an anachronism. His political isolation is not a conspiracy but a consequence of his own making—a leader left behind by a nation marching toward a future he cannot comprehend.
