Rigathi Gachagua’s press conference at Wamunyoro yesterday, urging Kenyans to stay off the streets on June 25, was not wisdom. It was political comedy from a man who suddenly discovered the dangers of police brutality after leaving government.
June 25 is not a political rally for any leader to control or cancel. It is a day of mourning for the young Kenyans who were killed, abducted and brutalised during last year’s protests. It belongs to their families, their friends, and a generation that stood up when many politicians were still calculating which side would benefit them.
When police were cracking down on protesters in 2024, Gachagua was not this gentle grandfather begging youth to stay indoors.
As Deputy President, he defended the security forces, attacked human rights groups for highlighting police excesses, and insisted that security was not negotiable. He told police to continue doing their work without being distracted by criticism from protesters and opposition leaders. He even supported the withdrawal of security from opposition figures until street protests stopped.
Today, the same man wants to position himself as the voice of reason on state violence. This is the same Rigathi Gachagua who, while in office, showed little sympathy for young people on the streets. Now that the machine he once defended has turned against him, he wants to sound like the patron saint of civil liberties.
Kenyans must ask the obvious question: who is Rigathi Gachagua working for when he tells people not to show up for a memorial meant to honour the dead? June 25 is about candles, flowers, names, prayers and memory not politicians sneaking into grief with fear campaigns and ballot mathematics.
If Gachagua truly respected the fallen, he would stay out of a day that was never his to direct. The youth have already made it clear: they do not take orders from him. His sudden conversion is too late, too convenient, and too obvious to be taken seriously.
