In a striking political commentary, Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba claimed that former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua was constrained by a political cage during his time in office, leaving him unable to address critical issues like the Gen Z killings of June 2024.
Wamuchomba made the remarks during a panel discussion on Monday, January 27, 2025, hosted by journalist Sam Gituku, alongside lawmakers Ugenya MP David Ochieng, Laikipia Woman Rep Jane Kagiri, and Uriri MP Mark Nyamita.
“I asked him [Gachagua] a question on the Gen Z killings, he had no answer,” Sam Gituku said, recalling an interaction with the former DP.
Pressed by Gituku on why Gachagua remained silent on Gen Z killings while in office, Wamuchomba offered an impassioned explanation.
“You know why he could not speak? Because he was in the cage,” Wamuchomba asserted.
“The cage that politicians, including all of us, are in. Cages of political patronism, cages of being patronized politically, cages of being called when you are on the floor of the House to be told, ‘you must vote this way’,” she added.
Gituku questioned how Gachagua, as the second-highest-ranking official in the country, could be subject to such restraints.
“Deputy president?” Gituku probed.
“That is what I am talking about,” Wamuchomba responded.
“It is a political cage, and every other politician, including the ones seated here, they will face this camera and say they are not in that cage. But I can confess to you that no single vote happens in Parliament without them receiving a call: ‘please make sure you vote this way’—from the Majority Leader, from the Majority Whip, from State House,” she claimed.
Wamuchomba pointed to instances of political pressure during key parliamentary moments, including the impeachment of officials like Gachagua and debates on the controversial Finance Bill.
She argued that the cage stifles the ability of politicians to act independently, describing it as a pervasive force that even affected Gachagua during his tenure.
“Some of them go out in public and say, ‘Oh, I am not going to pass the Finance Bill,’ and then people clap for them. When they go to Parliament, what do they do? They turn against their own people. So that is the same cage the deputy president Rigathi Gachagua was in. Now he is out of that cage, he can be able to speak. Some of us we are so conflicted because we are in that cage and we are never comfortable in the cage,” Wamuchomba concluded.
Her remarks elicited mixed reactions from the panel. Laikipia Woman Representative Jane Kagiri firmly rejected Wamuchomba’s claims, asserting her independence as a legislator.
“I would clarify that I received no phone call. When I make a decision, I am very firm on it, and everybody knew my stand on that situation,” Kagiri said.
The conversation highlights a growing debate over the extent of political control and autonomy within Kenyan governance structures, especially amid recent scrutiny of the events leading up to and following the 2024 Gen Z killings.
The killings, which sparked nationwide protests, remain a flashpoint in politics, with calls for accountability and transparency.
Gachagua a fierce govt critic
Gachagua, who was impeached in October 2024, has now emerged as one of the most vocal critics of President William Ruto’s administration.
From his rural home in Wamunyoro, Nyeri county, the former deputy has consistently leveraged social media platforms, including TikTok, to criticize the government’s track record.
On Thursday, January 24, during a TikTok live session, Gachagua accused the Ruto administration of failing to deliver tangible results more than two years into its term.
His remarks prompted a fiery response from the president who was on his Western Kenya tour.
Speaking in Bungoma and Busia counties, Ruto dismissed Gachagua as clueless and accused him of spreading divisive rhetoric.
“He (Gachagua) doesn’t understand anything about the programs of the Republic of Kenya. He doesn’t understand anything about the UHC, he has no clue about housing, he has no clue about agriculture, he has no clue about our young people,” Ruto stated.
The president further criticized his former deputy, describing him as a tribal leader and emphasizing that he was in no position to lecture his government on anything.
“Alafu anasimama pale ati anataka kutupea lecture. Wewe unatupea lecture ya ujinga utupeleke wapi? Bure Kabisa, wale watu wa chuki, wale wa migawanyiko, wale wa mitego, wale wa mashares, hawana nafasi ya kuhubiri chuki katika taifa letu la Kenya,” he stated.
Ruto also urged critics to offer constructive solutions rather than constant criticism.
“There is no community in Kenya that will be isolated, and no region will miss out on development. That is my mission, and I will not be distracted or blackmailed,” the president said, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to national unity and development.
