Turnaround: Gachagua Seeks Peace With The Kenyatta’s

The season of peace is here and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is not remaining behind. Following recent ‘handshake’ between ODM leader Raila Odinga and President William Ruto, the DP has also dived in and has apologised to former First Lady Mama Ngina Kenyatta raising speculation of an imminent truce between him and Former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

At the heights of the 2022 general election campaign, Gachagua had declared a war on the Kenyatta family that he persistently attacked as the dynasty and attributed most of the Kikuyu’s problems to. Gachagua’s boss President William Ruto and their allies engaged in a smear campaign against the Kenyatta’s during the 2022 campaigns and even after.

In the run-up to the 2022 general election, Ruto and his team fashioned their politics around presenting Uhuru as the source of Mt Kenya’s problems and poverty claiming his family used state resources to enrich themselves thereby taking advantage of the poor in the Mt Kenya region.

In the Uhuru phobia campaign, the Kenyatta family was accused of raising the cost of living at the behest of his family, which was accused of benefitting from the oil subsidy program.

On April 24 last year, in one of his tirades against Mama Ngina, Gachagua challenged her to divide half of the Kenyatta family’s huge tracts of land to the children of Mau Mau who he claimed were squatters. This was after Mama Ngina met freedom fighter the late Muthoni Kirima- Field Marshall

“I was so happy yesterday to see people saying that they are thinking of how to help the Mau Mau. Even if they have never helped them since 1963 it’s still not late because the Mau Mau and their descendants are suffering,” Gachagua said.

He added “All we’re asking is for them to help the Mau Mau in a meaningful way. All the land they took from the Mau Mau, let them return at least half of the parcels of land to the Mau Mau and their children including myself.”

Yesterday while offering himself to what he referred to as reverting the river back to its course, Gachagua said he was aware that such campaign excesses where mothers are demonized were against Agikuyu culture as ‘it would not attract blessings but a curse’.

“I am sorry for involving Mama Ngina Kenyatta in the last general elections politics. She is our mother. I therefore ask for forgiveness on behalf of our team for any inconvenience caused to her. I will never allow anyone to demean her or anyone from the region,” Gachagua remarked.

During an interview with Kameme TV, Gachagua insisted that despite the political mudslinging, the issues between him and the Former President is now behind him adding he is ready to initiate talks with him.

“The former President Uhuru Kenyatta is our son. We worked together for 17 years and only disagreed for 2 years and now that’s the past. I pray for him in his retirement. Uhuru is one of us. We shall talk with everyone,” he said.

The Deputy President urged the Mount Kenya Region to  embrace unity amidst disunity talks within the region.

“Our unity is our strength and that’s why I keep insisting that our generation should be protected. Anytime we are in the government we need to have unison in our thinking and loving one another,” Gachagua stated.

Gachagua’s about turn and change of tune regarding the Kenyatta family is a departure from what he was during the campaign period and in the early months of the Kenya Kwanza administration. Gachagua would use every space, airtime, room an opportunity to castigate Uhuru and his mother as the beacon of ills against Kenya.

The Kenyatta family’s name hang precariously on the lips of the Kenya Kwanza government and its politicos. The family was accused of being the cause of Mt Kenya region’s economic woes. They claimed that the family was the cause of the poverty that ‘hustlers’ faced.

In a move targeting the Kenyatta family, on February 1 2023, Kenya Kwanza Senators led by John Methu (Nyandarua) urged the National Assembly to investigate tax waivers enjoyed by the Kenyatta family during Uhuru’s tenure.

The senators also wanted an audit of Uhuru’s wealth to establish whether the Kenyatta family duly paid its land rates.

The move prompted Mama Ngina Kenyatta to come out gun blazing saying she is ready to have her property auctioned upon proof of tax evasion by the State.

“It is a fact that every employed Kenyan should pay income tax, irrespective of their job group. That is not up for discussion. There is no need to malign someone, to seem as though you are doing something,” the former First Lady said. She added “The government has policies in place. If I’m found to have breached the law…even for a year, I will pay the said taxes.”

On March 27, 2023, Kenyatta’s Northlands Estate in Kiambu was raided by goons, in what was believed to be State-sponsored. A huge part of the farm was burnt, trees felled, illegal subdivision done and sheep stolen some slaughtered and meet sold around the Kamakis nyamachoma area along Eastern bypass.

In July 2023, the Kenya Kwanza administration came under sharp focus when the former president called the media early night and complained about a supposed raid at his son’s house over claims of possessing arms without license. That was seen by pundits as a move that took war to Uhuru’s doorstep. Uhuru dared the President Ruto administration to arrest him vowing to do all that he could to protect his family.

“The fact that I’m silent doesn’t mean I’m scared. Come for me. What does my mother have to do with anything? What do my children have to do with anything? You know where I am, come for me”, Uhuru said at the dramatic event.

Gachagua has been keen on consolidating his support base in the mountain and came out furious with the kingpin discussion when new entrants like Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro was being feinted by a section of UDA leadership as a suitable replacement for him in the 2027 elections. Gachagua has now gone back to drawing board and is gathering support from everyone.

During the Kameme interview, He also expressed willingness to participate in Limuru III conference which is being prepared by Jubilee party Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni, Uhuru’s ally, and Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua reiterating that he was open to support any unity mission over Mt Kenya region.