Kirinyaga Protests After Gachagua Attack
Tensions ran high in Kirinyaga County on Monday, October 13, as hundreds of locals took to the streets to voice their anger against former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
In footage shared by Kenyans, the crowd, primarily made up of women, proudly declared their support for Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru as they paraded through the streets, brandishing placards that criticized the leader of the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP).
The protesters even set up bonfires along the bustling Kutus-Samson Road, which led to traffic jams and caught the attention of local authorities.
Many of the signs carried by the demonstrators featured slogans like “The Choice is Ours” and “Respect Women Leaders,” indicating their frustration with comments made by Gachagua during a church service in the same county just a day earlier.
One of the protesters specifically faulted Gachagua for what she described as attempts to coerce the entire Mount Kenya bloc to back opposition.
“He should know the governor (Waiguru) did not place herself in office. We voted her in. So when he insults the governor he is also insulting us,” one protester lamented.
Another said, “Those people inciting you (Gachagua) so that you insult Waiguru only want her seat. They should know we are the ones responsible for voting in the next governor.”
On Sunday, Gachagua stirred up some controversy during a church service at the Ambassador of Christ Church in Mwea. He didn’t hold back when he called out Waiguru, promising to expose and shame Mount Kenya leaders who were backing the Kenya Kwanza government.
Gachagua claimed that President William Ruto was trying to split the opposition votes by leveraging his allies from the Mount Kenya region—a strategy that the former Deputy President vowed to put a stop to.
“Let us agree on what I will do. Wherever I go in Mount Kenya, I will be calling out the traitors by name so that people know them. Whether you are a man or a woman. We will tell our people who the traitors are so that the President doesn’t finish this community,” Gachagua said.
The former Deputy President specifically pointed a finger at Waiguru, claiming she has ambitions to start her own political party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Currently serving her second term as governor, Waiguru is looking to shift gears and run for a Senate seat since she’s not eligible for a third term as governor.
Gachagua took aim at the leaders from Kirinyaga, including the governor, blaming them for the struggles faced by rice farmers. He argued that their silence has allowed the government to push for rice imports, which hurts local farmers, particularly those in Mwea.
Over the weekend, Gachagua’s supporters faced a rough reception in the Mount Kenya area. Mbeere South MP Nebart Muriuki had to make a hasty exit when a rowdy crowd surged towards him during a stop in his constituency.
This commotion happened while the MP was trying to rally a crowd at Kiritiri market, where his convoy had paused as he got ready to speak to the locals.
Kirinyaga Protests After Gachagua Attack
