Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua [GACHAGUA/X]Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has dismissed accusations of tribalism, insisting that he has, instead, played a significant role in fostering unity among Kenya’s diverse communities, both at home and abroad.
Speaking during an interview in Boston, United States, Gachagua pointed to the relationships he has built with leaders from different communities as evidence that he is a unifying figure, not a divisive one.
He remarked that the person often accused by his critics of harbouring tribal tendencies is, in fact, the same person who has built bridges with communities across Kenya’s ethnic divide.
“My critics keep calling me a tribalist, but I am the one who has found allies in other communities," Gachagua said.
While on his tour of the US, Gachagua noted that he had been warmly welcomed by Kenyans from various backgrounds, underscoring that his influence and friendships extend far beyond his Kikuyu community.
“While here in the US,
there are different communities who have invited me to attend their events.
Even the Maasai community is asking me to join them at their cultural
festival,” he stated.
Gachagua’s remarks appear aimed at countering critics who have previously accused him of employing divisive rhetoric, particularly through his repeated public statements in defence of the economic and political interests of the Mt. Kenya region.
The ex-DP is now famed for using the word “cousin” in his political rallies and public addresses as a lighthearted way of fostering kinship and breaking down ethnic and political barriers.
He has often leaned on this phrase to project a narrative of reconciliation and unity across Kenya’s diverse communities.
His latest remarks while in Boston, United States, followed this familiar script, this time referring to Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and other leaders as “cousins” to underline his efforts to build cross-community alliances.
He argued that through personal engagement and outreach, he has managed to unite communities in ways that his detractors fail to recognise.
“I have single-handedly united all communities. We are now cousins and in-laws,” he said.
