Pastor Dorcas slams claims she controls her husband Rigathi Gachagua
By Ascah Mwango, March 9, 2026Dorcas Rigathi has once again rubbished persistent claims that she controls her husband, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, describing the narratives as exaggerated and far removed from the real dynamics of their relationship.
Speaking on Oga Obinna TV on Sunday, March 8, 2026, Dorcas explained that the couple’s wealth and achievements are the result of mutual effort and shared planning. She revealed that their marriage was built on a partnership approach, emphasising that decisions and successes were made together.
Dorcas also addressed public speculation about her presence in her husband’s life and work. She clarified that her involvement is always voluntary and at her husband’s request, highlighting that she is there to support him fully rather than dictate or dominate.
“The wealth we have, we built together. The plan was to marry early and work together. So I know what we have and how it was built. Wengine wanamuangalia wanasema namkalia. Sometimes you see me there, it’s because he asked me to be there. I support my husband fully,” Dorcas stated.
Pastor Dorcas, a well‑known Kenyan clergywoman and public advocate, rose to national attention during her husband’s tenure as Deputy President from September 13, 2022, until his impeachment on October 17, 2024, when she served as Kenya’s Second Lady. In that role, she championed initiatives for the boy child, health and rehabilitation programmes, disability inclusion, widows, and orphans.
Her public profile has grown over the years, not just because of her church work in Mathira Constituency, but also because she often appears alongside Gachagua at major functions, both sacred and political. That close visibility is what sparked speculation and gossip in some quarters that she wields undue influence over her husband’s decisions and public life, a suggestion she rejects outright.
Kimani Ichung’wah on Dorcas
The most notable flare‑up came in July 2025, when Kimani Ichung’wah, then the National Assembly Majority Leader, publicly implied that Dorcas was dominating her husband. She responded swiftly at a meeting with clergy in the United States, dismissing the insinuation as ludicrous and reminding critics that her presence beside Gachagua stems from shared values and mutual support, not control.
Her remarks triggered a backlash from women leaders aligned with Gachagua, some of whom publicly condemned Ichung’wah’s comments as inappropriate and disrespectful, demanding accountability for what they saw as an attack on women and family dignity.
Dorcas and Gachagua’s partnership did not begin in politics but in student life. They first met in the 1980s, Dorcas at Kenyatta University and Gachagua at the University of Nairobi, and married in 1989, later building a family with two sons.
Over decades, they have worked closely, from early business ventures to faith‑based and community outreach efforts that earned Dorcas recognition, including an honorary doctorate in 2021 for her service to widows and vulnerable populations.