Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Tuesday, February 14, went gloves off to call out the heckling that disrupted President William Ruto’s rally in his Kiambu tour.
Addressing a roadside rally in Soko Mjinga, Kiambu County, Gachagua reacted to a previous incident in their tour where residents heckled leaders including Thika Town Member of Parliament Alice Ng’ang’a.
President Ruto found himself at the center of power play by leaders jostling for the Kiambu County gubernatorial seat and the manifested divisions between the county’s leaders.
In his response, Gachagua called out some leaders he accused of planning the heckling, insisting that it was an embarrassment for Mount Kenya people.
When he took the microphone to address residents at Soko Mjinga, the DP did not hide his disappointment with the turn of events where President Ruto was left speechless, unable to contain the hecklers.
In his speech dominated by a rant in the Kikuyu language, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua went on to paint a picture of how the heckling embarrassed the President.
He affirmed that heckling was not a tradition the region would want to be identified with and cautioned leaders behind the rowdy supporters to respect the President.
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“These leaders brought young men to heckle in front of the President,” Gachagua remarked.
“If we don’t like a person, we usually keep quiet and let him speak. I don’t want to see that conduct again. It was ashaming for as a community. But heckling in Kiambu and Mount Kenya we will not accept.”
Gachagua warns Mt Kenya against divisive politics
Coming against the background of heated exchanges between leaders from Mount Kenya regarding 2027 succession politics, the second-in-command rallied Mount Kenya residents to unite and support him and Ruto in implementing their agenda.
He cautioned residents in the counties commonly referred as the Mount Kenya region to avoid the temptations of divisions on the basis of counties in the region.
“From today this conduct is not acceptable. The governor should be given an opportunity to work, and the MP the same. We will make our pronouncements in the elections,” he added.
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On his part, Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi distanced himself from the heckling and affirmed his commitment to serving Kiambu people until the next election.
They eventually proceeded with their Kiambu tour in a busy day that culminated in several engagements in Murang’a County, the backyard of Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro.
But the leaders and locals put the recent tension sparked by some leaders pushing to have Ndindi Nyoro replace Gachagua as Ruto’s deputy in 2023.
On Thursday, the President and his Deputy were expected to continue with their Mount Kenya tour in Nyeri County.
