Gachagua reveals who warned him of a planned attack at Raila’s burial
By Steve Ireri, November 17, 2025Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has said that he did not attend the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s funerals, including the state burial at Nyayo Stadium, because police warned him that plainclothes officers were planning to attack him.
Speaking during an interview with local Embu TV stations on Sunday, November 16, 2025, Gachagua claimed the plot was designed to create a narrative that he was beaten by Luo people, which would have fuelled ethnic tensions between the Kikuyu and Luo communities.
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“If I were to attend Raila’s burial in Nyayo Stadium as planned, some police officers warned me not to go because there were plans for officers in plain clothes to attack me. The plan was to beat me so that a narrative would emerge that I was attacked by Luo people, causing the Kikuyu community, where I am from, to hate the Luo people. That is why I changed my plans. You know Ruto would like the Luo and Kikuyu people to hate each other. Ruto usually hates to hear that Kikuyu and Luo can live in harmony, and it bothers him,” Gachagua said.
Gachagua said he had initially planned to attend the Nyayo Stadium burial but changed his plans after receiving the warnings.
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He cited previous incidents where he was attacked, including in Limuru, Mwiki, and even while returning from the United States, noting that none of the attackers had been arrested.
“I had planned to go to Nyayo Stadium, but you know how the government has been fighting me. Thugs and goons were sent to attack me in Limuru one day, and those people have not been arrested. In the fourth month, more people were sent to attack me in Mwiki, and they are also yet to be arrested. Even when I was coming back from America, I was similarly attacked by officers in plain clothes, and they have not been arrested,” Gachagua said.
Fake tributes
Beyond security concerns, Gachagua said he could not have withstood the narratives he expected at the funerals, referring to people who were pretending to mourn Raila.
He singled out President William Ruto, saying that while the President publicly praised Raila during the ceremonies, he had previously called him a witch and blamed him for many of the country’s problems.
“Even for the main burial, there were similar plans for me to be attacked. Another reason I did not attend the burial is that I could not have withstood the lies being spread there. For example, President Ruto was all over the place saying Raila was a great leader, yet he previously said Raila was a witch,” Gachagua said.
Gachagua emphasised that he had sent personal messages of condolence to Raila’s family and highlighted the late leader’s achievements.
He noted two aspects of Raila’s leadership that inspired him: the strength and organisation of the ODM party, which he hopes to build in his own Democratic Coalition Party (DCP), and Raila’s practice of appointing the most qualified people to top party positions.
“When Raila died, I sent my message of condolence and told his family I was sorry and that he was a good leader. I highlighted two things about him that I admired. One, I want to make my DCP party as strong as his ODM party, and even make it bigger and more powerful. Two, I said I liked the fact that he always went for the most qualified people to hold top positions in his party,” Gachagua said.