Category: Politics

Rigathi Gachagua has accused President William Ruto and Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah of intimidating the Kikuyu community, alleging that state interference has reached churches and threatens freedom of worship.

Speaking at a Sunday service at PCEA Kamangu in Kikuyu Constituency, Kiambu County, on November 1, 2026, Gachagua accused Ichung’wah of helping Ruto persecute people from the region and harm local businesses.

“You have caused enough damage to this community. You have assisted William Ruto to persecute your kinsmen. You have destroyed our businesses so that we are living like refugees in our own country,” Gachagua said.

He also accused Ichung’wah of being used to attack political leaders, including retired President Uhuru Kenyatta and the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Gachagua alleged that political interference had extended to the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA), claiming church leaders had threatened a parish minister for welcoming him to the service.

“Sasa tumefika hapo ya kwamba Ruto ameingilia kila kitu mpaka kanisa mahali tunaenda kuomba Mungu,” he said.

Translation: (Now we have reached the point where Ruto has interfered in everything, even the church where we go to pray to God.)

“You even want now to dictate vile tutakaa kanisani. Hii ni mambo ambayo hatuwezi,” he added.

(You even want now to dictate how we will sit in church. These are things we cannot accept.)

Gachagua said he and his allies would seek political change in the 2027 General Election and predicted that the alleged intimidation would end after the vote.

“I am clear in my mind; as day is clear from night, we are going to liberate this country next year,” he said.

He named August 10, 2027, as the date by which he expected interference in the church to end. He also said he would write to the PCEA Moderator of the General Assembly, asking him to protect the parish minister from harassment.

“William Ruto huwezi leta mambo ya ukoloni katika Jamhuri ya Kenya. Mambo ya kanisa ukome kuingilia,” Gachagua said.

(William Ruto, you cannot bring colonial-style practices into the Republic of Kenya. Stop interfering in church matters.)

The former deputy president further accused Ruto of taking Mt Kenya’s political support for granted, asking whether the president would have won without votes from the region.

Gachagua also said he would continue defending the community’s identity despite being labelled tribal.

“Nitasimama na heshima ya jamii ya Mlima Kenya (I will stand with the dignity of the Mt Kenya community). I will not allow anybody to intimidate the Kikuyu nation,” he said.

He further called for respect for Kenyatta and warned against what he described as attempts to undermine the former president and his family.

At a rally at Jacaranda Grounds, ODM leaders said the party expected a share of government under any agreement.

“Some people say President Ruto should not be given conditions, but he, his wife, and his children should not make agreements without conditions. But for us as a party, conditions are necessary,” ODM Deputy Party Leader Simba Arati said.

Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho and National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed also said any deal should be negotiated between the parties.

“Conditions must remain. As ODM, we must talk to them because a party must have conditions,” Joho said.

“There is nothing for free. Parties must sit down, talk, and reach an agreement,” Mohamed added.

ODM leaders also rejected claims by the Linda Mwananchi faction that the party had lost its political relevance.

“Some people say they left ODM and the party is finished. Then who are all these people here?” ODM Chairperson Gladys Wanga asked.

National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi also dismissed claims that the party was dead, while Arati criticized those who had left ODM.

The debate over the Deputy President’s position comes as some government leaders have called for Prof. Kithure Kindiki to retain the role.

Kagure, leader of the Kenya Patriots Party (KPP), has not formally declared her candidacy. But billboards promoting her gubernatorial ambitions have appeared in key locations across Nyeri, while she steps up grassroots outreach to connect with voters.

“Nothing beats love of the people. Wishing you all a super great weekend,” she said in a recent post accompanying a billboard that signals her political shift.

The move marks a change for Kagure, who spent years building a political presence in Nairobi. She previously ran for the Nairobi governor’s seat as an independent candidate in the 2022 General Election, ultimately losing to United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Johnson Sakaja after securing 10,086 votes (0.76% of the total).

Kagure entered the political spotlight in 2018, when former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko shortlisted her for the deputy governor position. She later built grassroots support through community initiatives and political mobilization in informal settlements and residential areas.

Through the Agnes Kagure Foundation and projects such as Mbogi ya Mama, Kagure has supported food distribution, access to clean water, and relief for vulnerable families.

She has also built a career in the insurance sector. Kagure founded The Insurance Consulting Group and served as its managing principal. The Association of Kenya Insurers named her Agent of the Year in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2013.

A campaign in Nyeri would place Kagure in a new political landscape. She will need to build local alliances and demonstrate her commitment to the county’s priorities to win voters’ support.