Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has warned the Western Kenya region to relook at its voting trends.
Speaking during an interview with Western Kenya vernacular radio stations on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, Gachagua stated that Western is a vote-rich block, but their votes do not help the Mulembe Nation in any way.
According to Gachagua, the region has a chance of producing the country’s president, but their voting trend has always divided the votes.
The former Mathira Member of Parliament argued that the region has not been voting as a block during the general elections, with their votes being divided among several presidential candidates.
He went ahead to argue that the region has been giving votes to Raila Odinga, while only a few choose to stand with Musalia Mudavadi whenever he vies, with the rest choosing to vote for other candidates on the ballot.
President from western
Should the region unite and vote for one of their own as a block, Gachagua says it has a chance of producing Kenya’s president.
“Mulembe Nation inaeza kupata nafasi ya kuchukua ufalme wa Kenya lakini itategemea vile mulembe itajipanga kwa sababu hii urais ya Kenya huwezi chukua tu namna hivyo. Muungane, muongee sauti moja, kwa sababu hapo mbeleni mnapiganga kura mara tatu. Kura yenu haisaidii Mulembe Nation, kwa sababu mnagawagawa. Wengine wanapatia Raila Odinga, wengine wanapeana kwa Musalia na wengine wanapeana huko. Inakuwa haina maana,” Gachagua argued.
Gachagua further claimed that the Western region appears to have been sidelined in the government despite having many voters and a large population.
“Nyinyi mko na kura karibu milioni tano, namba mbili Kenya, lakini ukiangalia vile serikali imepangwa, hamko ata namba tano. Ile mpangilio ya serikali haifuatani na wingi wenu na kura zenu. Na ndio mimi nilikuwa natetea nyinyi wabunge wenu wakadanganywa wakanipiga na hii mambo ya shares,” Gachagua said.
Gachagua’s interview that targeted the Mulembe Nation audience comes just a week after President William Ruto spent five days in Western Kenya, launching development projects and engaging with residents in a bid to win over a region that overwhelmingly backed Raila Odinga in 2022.
The second deputy president also sought to undo President Ruto’s wins in the region, as he maintained his stance that the head of state had betrayed the people.
Gachagua slams Ruto
A week ago, Gachagua lashed out at his former boss over his recent development tour of the Western region.
Speaking on Monday, January 27, 2024, during the launch of the Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) new headquarters in Karen, Nairobi, Gachagua called out Ruto for corruption and termed his administration as a government of lies.
The former Mathira Member of Parliament (MP) took issue with some of the projects Ruto launched in Western during his tour, stating that he had gone against the agreement he had signed with the Western region people.
Gachagua mocked the Head of State for what he termed as launching transformers during his Western tour instead of fulfilling the 1000km road construction promise.
He further urged President Ruto to stop linking him to corruption, arguing that he has never been associated with any scandal in the country.
Gachagua went ahead to tell Ruto that he leads a government of lies, stating that he was kicked out of his position as the second in command for refusing to help the president in telling lies.
“Mr. President, be an honest man, look for a mirror before you talk about corruption, and look at yourself. The people of Kenya are very intelligent. Rigathi Gachagua has not been associated with any scandal in this country. So wewe unaenda pale unasema he is incompetent.
“In matters of incompetence, Mr. President, I tend to agree with you to a certain extent. Serikali yako ni ya uwongo, kutenga, kudanganya watu. Uliandika mkataba na watu wa Western ukasema utajenga 1000km, hujajenga. Umekuwa hapo juzi unafungua transformer. Mimi ulitaka nikusaidie kudanganya Wakenya, in matters kudanganya Wakenya, I am incompetent, I accept,” Gachagua said.
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