Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale. /ADEN DUALE/XHealth Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has sharply criticised former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over remarks he made at a funeral, saying they risk undermining national unity.
Speaking during the burial of his last surviving aunt, Gladys Gathoni Kahua, Gachagua claimed his Kikuyu community was being targeted following his fallout with the Kenya Kwanza government.
“As a community, we are in trouble and at a crossroads,” he said.
“I’m not worried about myself because I’m the one who caused a mess, so I can be persecuted and my children can also be persecuted, but for my community, we need help.”
The former DP was impeached in October 2024 after a bitter split with President Ruto.
He has since formed his party—Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP)—under the slogan Skiza Wakenya (Listen to Kenyans).
The party was launched on May 15 in Lavington, Nairobi, as part of Gachagua’s master plan to unseat Ruto at the 2027 General Elections.
Duale, in a strongly worded response, condemned Gachagua’s remarks as “reckless” and “dangerous”.
“We know Mr Gachagua is in a self-destruction mode. But he cannot burn the country as he destroys himself. Such reckless statements are dangerous for our country’s peace and stability. This is truly lowering the bar for leadership,” said the CS.
Gachagua has in recent weeks intensified his attacks on President Ruto, vowing to make him a one-term leader.
As part of the grand scheme to send his former boss home, he has embarked on a national tour to rally support, the most recent being a two-day visit to Western Kenya.
He was accompanied by Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and other opposition figures as they sought to woo the Luhya vote bloc, which accounts for 2.6 million voters, second only to Central Kenya.
The united opposition is seeking to snatch Western Kenya from the firm grip of President Ruto and his ODM foe-turned-ally, Raila Odinga, ahead of the general elections.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank the people of Mulembe Nation for your resilience and love. We have heard you loud and clear, and I want to assure you that we will not bow down or let you down,” Gachagua said at the close of the tour on Friday.
Speaking at the funeral, Gachagua mourned the death of his aunt, describing it as an “excruciating loss hard to put into words”. “Gathoni was the only surviving aunt on my mother’s side, and her absence leaves a void that cannot be filled,” he said.
