Kindiki fires back at Gachagua in blistering response to voice jibes

NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 17 – Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has vowed to politically dismantle his predecessor Rigathi Gachagua, daring him to continue attacking him as the increasingly bitter battle for influence in the Mount Kenya region gathers pace ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Kindiki’s broadside came after Gachagua repeatedly mocked his voice, turning the Deputy President’s distinctive delivery into a subject of political ridicule.

But Kindiki says attacks on his voice are the extent of Gachagua’s contribution to political debate, accusing him of having little else to offer on matters of politics, policy and leadership.

“Talking about my voice is the only contribution your emptiness and incompetence can make in matters politics, policy and leadership,” Kindiki said.

The Deputy President then launched into a detailed account of Gachagua’s political career, taking aim at his record as a former District Officer, Mathira MP and Deputy President.

Kindiki described Gachagua’s exit from the public service as a District Officer as “disgraceful”, his time as Mathira MP as “unremarkable” and his two years as Deputy President as “wasted”.

He also accused Gachagua of doing too little for the Mount Kenya region while occupying the country’s second-highest office, questioning his claim to political leadership of the region.

Gachagua, who was impeached and removed from office in 2024 following a bitter fallout with President William Ruto and most of the Mount Kenya leadership, has since established the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), through which he has indicated his intention to pursue the presidency.

His appeal against his impeachment remains pending in court.

But Gachagua has continued to position himself as the political supremo of the entire Mount Kenya region, a claim Kindiki has repeatedly rejected.

Instead, Kindiki has sought to position himself as a unifying figure for Mount Kenya East and Mount Kenya West, arguing that the two influential regions should work together rather than be politically divided.

The push for unity, however, comes against the backdrop of calls by some leaders allied to Kindiki for a different political configuration. Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has advocated the distinction between Mount Kenya East and Mount Kenya West, highlighting the competing ideas about how the region should organise itself politically.

Kindiki’s latest attack therefore goes beyond his personal rivalry with Gachagua. It is also part of a wider contest over who speaks for Mount Kenya and what political direction the region should take as the 2027 elections approach.

The Deputy President also revisited his own relationship with Gachagua during their time in government, rejecting claims that he interfered with the former Deputy President’s efforts to address the alcohol problem in Mount Kenya.

Kindiki, who was Interior Cabinet Secretary at the time, said he deliberately stayed away from politics while serving in the ministry.

“As Interior Minister during the two years of your colourless tenure, I never involved myself in politics even for a day,” he said.

He dismissed Gachagua’s claims that he had overruled him on alcohol matters, saying his focus was on security.

Kindiki accused Gachagua of concentrating on personal interests and political mobilisation while he focused on national security.

“I was focused on protecting Kenya from bandits, terrorists and criminals as you were building hotels, acquiring land and inciting people against the same Government that you were serving as Deputy President,” Kindiki said.

The Deputy President said he had at one point attempted to persuade Gachagua to repair his relationship with President Ruto and other leaders, but that his advice was ignored.

He said he ultimately refused to join what he regarded as efforts to sabotage the administration they had helped form.

“I told you if you chose to leave, the rest of us would be left to push for the public interest which had motivated us to form Government — our roads, markets, electricity, coffee and milk prices,” Kindiki said.

The exchange marks a sharp escalation in the increasingly personal rivalry between the two men, who served together in the Kenya Kwanza administration before Gachagua’s impeachment.

Kindiki has now openly challenged Gachagua’s political influence, signalling that he will not concede the Mount Kenya space to his predecessor and intends to build a broader regional coalition.

The Deputy President saved one of his sharpest responses for the issue that triggered the latest exchange — his voice.

He said Gachagua was free to continue mocking it, but insisted he would not respond in kind or descend into personal attacks.

“You can mock my voice all you want. But I won’t stoop to your lowly level by trying to respond or by discussing your not so great anatomy,” he said.

The reference to Gachagua’s “not so great anatomy” was a pointed counter to the former Deputy President’s repeated jokes about Kindiki’s voice, turning the personal exchange back on his political rival.

Kindiki also accused Gachagua of attempting to mislead the people of Mount Kenya through political slogans and chants.

“I will not allow you to mislead the people of Mount Kenya with your useless slogans and chants,” he said.

He ended his statement with a pointed warning to his former political colleague:

“I like the way you under-estimate me.”

The remarks are likely to further intensify the contest for political influence in Mount Kenya, where Gachagua is seeking to consolidate his base through the DCP while Kindiki pushes for a united region and a political platform that brings together Mount Kenya East and West.

For now, the two men appear set for a prolonged political battle — with Kindiki making it clear that he is prepared to take the fight directly to his predecessor.