Impeached former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua today turned a Nyeri church pulpit into a platform of political vengeance, vowing to dismantle President William Ruto’s flagship programmes if elected in 2027.
In a fiery outburst, Gachagua pledged to scrap the housing levy, refund workers’ deductions, and dump the affordable housing programme onto counties. Such a move would leave thousands of families who have already committed to home ownership stranded in bureaucratic limbo. To many, the remarks were less about policy and more about spite.
Gachagua, hounded out of office in 2024 over corruption scandals, insubordination and ethnic incitement, has since recast himself as a populist challenger. Today, he claimed Kenya is “broke” and dismissed government borrowing as reckless. Yet his critique runs against the facts on the ground: Kasarani’s Talanta Helium Stadium is nearing completion, roads are opening up North Eastern, and Mt Kenya alone is receiving billions for 10,000 housing units and 23 new markets.
Observers note a familiar pattern: rather than offering solutions, Gachagua thrives on rage. His so-called “no promises” mantra masks an absence of vision, while his Democratic Congress Party is accused of extorting millions from aspirants desperate for tickets. Worse still, he continues to pit Mt Kenya leaders against one another, branding those who work with Ruto as sellouts.
Kenya’s voters deserve pragmatism, not poison. The housing levy requires refinement, not reckless demolition. Jobs, water, and roads demand unity, not vendettas. Gachagua’s reckless rage may win applause in exile rallies, but it risks alienating the very wananchi he claims to represent.
If today’s tirade is a glimpse of his 2027 agenda, it is not leadership but sabotage — and Mt Kenya may not forgive him twice.
