Rigathi Gachagua is facing the sharpest political isolation of his career after back-to-back public appearances — yesterday on KTN and today during a joint press conference at DAP-K offices in Karen — exposed a striking shift in tone as pressure mounts from an increasingly skeptical public.
Once the loudest defender of tribal entitlement, proudly calling himself “a villager” and championing ethnic dominance in national politics, Gachagua has suddenly softened, attempting to redirect blame toward President William Ruto. But to many Kenyans, this isn’t a strategic rethink — it’s a reaction to the brutal reckoning happening online, where videos, quotes, and records of his tribal remarks have resurfaced and gone viral.
The political fallout is already visible on the ground. After the Mbeere by-election, where the DP candidate — widely viewed as Gachagua’s preferred choice — lost to UDA, Mt Kenya leaders have quietly backed away from him. The once crowded gatherings at his Wamunyoro home have thinned out, and there is now a noticeable go-slow among leaders who previously accompanied him to events. Many, especially from Mt Kenya, no longer want to be publicly associated with him — a dramatic shift for a man who once moved with an entourage of loyalists.
His recent claim of a “secret pact” with Kalonzo Musyoka to hand Nairobi seats to his Kikuyu-led DCP has only deepened his troubles. Kalonzo dismissed the story as pure propaganda, accusing Gachagua of attempting to fracture the United Opposition. The backlash has been immediate and unforgiving.
Online, the verdict is even harsher. Hashtags calling out his tribalism continue to trend, with Kenyans highlighting contradictions in his statements and repudiating the narrative he is now trying to push.
The mood across the nation is shifting.
Kenyans are seeing through the lies and the old tactics are no longer working.
