Wanguku: Gachagua used Mungiki label to divide Mt Kenya
Nyeri-based politician Thuo Mathenge, alias Wanguku, has said former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is the author of his misfortunes.
Speaking to Kameme TV on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, Mathenge recounted how Gachagua used the Mungiki label to neutralise a major Murang’a meeting that could have seen him unite with former President Uhuru Kenyatta and other regional leaders.
Kenol meeting
You might also like
“In 2023, I convened a meeting that was so huge in Kenol, Murang’a County, and it was attended by over 50,000 men because it was meant for men alone, not babies or women.
“We sat down as a team and decided to invite the senior-most leader in the Mt Kenya region, who was Rigathi Gachagua at the time, since he was the DP.
“We told Gachagua now because you are the one with the leadership mantle; call former President Uhuru Kenyatta and several leaders so that we can come, case, and decide how to unify the region,” Wanguku told Kameme TV.
According to Mathenge, the event was designed as a platform to bring together all political voices from the Mt Kenya region to discuss unity and strategy ahead of future political contests.
Political fallout
Mathenge continued, “But after announcing that, we were called all sorts of names; we were called Mungiki and other bad names. If Gachagua, let me tell you, if he didn’t fight us then, he could not have been impeached.”
He claimed that by associating the meeting with the outlawed group, Gachagua not only undermined a rare opportunity for regional reconciliation but also set himself up for political isolation. Mathenge suggested that the fallout from that episode weakened the former DP’s standing, both within Mt Kenya and nationally.
The remarks come amid continued political realignments in the Mt Kenya region, with some leaders accusing Gachagua of failing to maintain unity among local power brokers. While Gachagua has not directly responded to Mathenge’s latest comments, he has in the past defended his political approach as being rooted in protecting the interests of the region’s people.
Political analysts say the Kenol meeting incident remains a flashpoint in the strained relationship between Gachagua and some Mt Kenya politicians, especially those who once sought to bridge the rift with Uhuru.
