Tensions flare in Mt. Kenya as Gachagua labels Governor Waiguru, Kirinyaga MPs ‘enemies of the people’

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has once again taken aim at Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru and Members of Parliament from the county, accusing them of betraying the Mt. Kenya community and siding with President William Ruto’s administration at the expense of local interests.

Speaking during a charged rally in Mwea, Kirinyaga County, on Tuesday, Gachagua dismissed the women-led protests held a day earlier in defence of Waiguru and Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire, insisting that the demonstrations were politically motivated.

He accused Waiguru and her allies of ignoring the plight of ordinary residents, particularly farmers in Mwea, whom he said were suffering under poor policies.

“Mimi nakuuliza wewe Mumbi, tangu Kasongo alete mchele kutoka Pakistan, ndiyo watu wa Mwea waumie, ulikosa hata akina mama 300 wakuje kwa barabara wapige kelele Kasongo aone aibu,” Gachagua said, referring to rice imports that he claimed have hurt local producers.

He went on to dismiss accusations of misogyny levelled against him, saying his criticism of Waiguru had nothing to do with gender.

“Wewe ukuwe mwanaume, uwe mama, wewe kama ni msaliti, wewe ni msaliti,” Gachagua declared to loud cheers from the crowd.

Turning his fury on elected leaders from Kirinyaga, the former DP branded them as “enemies of the people,” accusing them of abandoning the needs of their constituents.

“Wewe governor na MPs wa Kirinyaga, nyinyi ndiyo adui kubwa ya watu wa Mwea na Kirinyaga. You are the enemies of Kirinyaga and our people,” he said.

His remarks were echoed by Nyandarua Senator John Methu, who claimed that leaders from the Mt. Kenya region had played a central role in President Ruto’s rise to power and warned that the same voters could easily turn against him.

“Kasongo, sisi ndiyo tulikuweka ukuwe Rais wa Jamhuri ya Kenya na sisi ndiyo tutakufanya raia wa Jamhuri ya Kenya,” Methu said.

Kirinyaga Senator Kamau Murango also weighed in, condemning what he described as public humiliation of Governor Waiguru during recent events, calling it “a big embarrassment.”

The latest attack by Gachagua has deepened divisions within the Mt. Kenya political landscape, which has witnessed rising tensions between leaders allied to President Ruto and those loyal to the former deputy president.

Gachagua’s comments come just days after similar remarks made in Embu County, which triggered protests across several Mt. Kenya counties, with some residents accusing him of disrespecting women leaders and fueling disunity in the region.