Gachagua Tells Off Ichung'wah Over Abduction Links, Gives Update On Political Announcement

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Friday, January 3 told off National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah who earlier accused him of being responsible for the recent abductions in the country.

Gachagua, who spoke during the funeral service of the son of former Embu Speaker Lenny Kivuti, Eric Mutugi, told off the Kikuyu Member of Parliament (MP) and those accusing him of sponsoring the abductions, stating that the government is finding it hard to contain his sincerity on key issues.

Responding to Ichung'wah's accusations linking him to the abductions, Gachagua deemed the accusations as diversionary tactics by the state to drive Kenyans away from their focus on the contentious matter at hand.

''The problem with Kenya is the issue of constant lies and that is probably why I was axed from the government because I stood for the truth,'' Gachagua asserted.

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua at the funeral of the son of former Embu Senator Lenny Kivuti, Eric Mutugi on Friday, January 3, 2025. /RIGATHI GACHAGUA

Gachagua instead asked the government to give closure on what exactly was happening and on the whereabouts of the recently abducted Kenyan youths.

''The president recently said that there was no evidence of abductions almost five times. I have just seen his political machine, that Member of Parliament he uses, lying to people that I am the one abducting people,'' he added.

Earlier, Ichung'wah who spoke during the burial of Moses Wetangula's mother on Friday, January 3 in which President William Ruto was in attendance, claimed Gachagua orchestrated the abductions. These remarks came after Gachagua urged President Ruto to take full responsibility and immediately address the alleged abductions.

Ichung'wah also called out Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, who was also present during the burial and condemned the abductions. He blamed the county boss for not using the powers he had during his tenure as the Police Regional Commander to expose those behind the abductions.

"Gachagua was the orchestrator of abductions so that he could blame President Ruto. Shame on you Governor Natembeya. You cannot complain about abductions when you were the key abductor of Kenyans under the last regime," Ichung'wah said.

Meanwhile, Gachagua challenged the government to stop viewing Kenyans as individuals who know nothing and can easily be manipulated, revealing that the government was running out of chances to deceive them.

''The people of Kenya are very intelligent. And you people are running out of lies. You have lied to the point that you have started believing in your own lies. So, those young men who have been abducted here, who are they? Those young men have been abducted,'' he added.

During the event, Members of Parliament who attended the event found themselves in an odd position when the former DP charged at them over what he termed as being used to polarise their political backyards. 

''You MPs here, how foolish can you be? Someone came here with a Bible and lied to us, and he has now lied to you to fight your brothers and sisters. You are now at the fate of these voters who you will have to deal with,'' he added.

Regarding his major political announcement which he had promised on November 24, 2024, that he would make in January this year, Gachagua revealed that he would give political directions for the Mt Kenya region at the end of the month, promising that the region would not be deceived by the Kenya Kwanza government as they were during the first two years of the first term.

"I will announce at the end of January. I have listened to the elders, members of the church, business people and professionals and I’ll continue to listen to the ground. We will give a direction for the people of the Mt Kenya region on how we will live in this country so that next time, we do not find ourselves in the hole that we’ve been put into," he promised.