History has a strange way of repeating itself in the Mt. Kenya region. More than a century ago, Chief Kinyanjui wa Gathirimu rose to power by siding with the British colonialists. Today, Rigathi Gachagua mirrors that story—only this time, it’s not the colonialists he served, but a political alliance that he now disowns. Both men, at different points in history, led Mt. Kenya into alliances that ultimately weakened the region’s autonomy and voice.
Chief Kinyanjui was born around 1865. As a young man, he worked with missionaries and later the British colonial administration. In 1893, he was appointed chief, and by the early 1900s, he had become one of the most powerful traditional leaders in Kikuyu land. He helped the British establish control over the central highlands, enforced colonial policies like forced labor and hut tax, and suppressed resistance. While the British rewarded him with influence and land, the Kikuyu people paid the price—losing land, freedoms, and dignity.
Fast-forward to 2022, and Rigathi Gachagua styled himself as the modern defender of Mt. Kenya’s interests. He rallied the region behind President William Ruto’s UDA party, promising economic empowerment and respect. He toured every village warning voters not to follow “outsiders,” casting himself as the mountain’s only true protector.
But just two years later, Gachagua has turned around and branded the very leaders he helped elect as “stupid” and “clueless.” The same administration he asked Mt. Kenya to trust, he now ridicules. In truth, Gachagua didn’t just support this regime—he delivered it to us. He handpicked MPs, insulted dissenters, and locked out alternative voices.
Now that things haven’t gone his way, he wants to distance himself from the mess he helped create. Just like Chief Kinyanjui, Gachagua brought Mt. Kenya into a deal that served him—only for the community to later realise it was a trap. The question remains: how many times must Mt. Kenya be misled before we stop following loud voices and start choosing wise ones?
