Impeached former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is once again seeking the spotlight tonight on Inooro TV’s Kiririmbi show. But analysts warn that his familiar script of grievance, tribal chest-thumping and attacks on President William Ruto is wearing thin.
Since his historic ouster in October 2024 — the first deputy president to be impeached under Kenya’s 2010 Constitution — Gachagua has struggled to rebrand. His impeachment was anchored on charges of ethnic incitement, undermining collective responsibility, and openly defying his own government. Those scars remain visible as he seeks to reinvent himself as a presidential contender.
Yet, insiders note tonight’s interview promises more of the same: claims that Ruto will be a one-term president, laments of persecution by state agencies, and assertions that only his new outfit — the DCP Party — can speak for Mt. Kenya. He is also expected to recycle stories of betrayal, from alleged surveillance by the NIS to accusations that Ruto “killed Gen Z dreams.”
Critics argue such theatrics no longer inspire. Kenya moved on from Rigathi the moment he was impeached. He is stuck in a politics of bitterness and Tribal incitement cannot be a manifesto.
Indeed, his last appearances flopped, drawing more ridicule than momentum. Analysts point out that branding his party as a regional vehicle only entrenches the image of a man boxed into ethnic politics — a strategy unlikely to unlock new ground nationally.
For a country grappling with cost of living, unemployment, and youth disillusionment, Kenyans are increasingly asking: beyond attacks on Ruto, what does Rigathi Gachagua actually stand for?
