Gachagua fights off 'tribal leader' tag, defends US tour

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua during his Tuesday interview with Citizen Tv. [Screengrab]

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has defended his decision to meet Kenyans in the United States along tribal lines during his recent tour of seven states.

In an interview with Citizen TV, Gachagua stated that Kenyans in the diaspora are organized into community groups and that his meetings were based on invitations.

"I am Kenyan and champion the interests of Kenyans, but I come from somewhere. All other leaders have a region they come from and champion issues affecting them. There is nothing wrong with that," he said.

The former DP described his trip as fruitful, adding that President William Ruto also regularly hosts different communities at State House without being questioned.

Addressing his past remarks on ‘shareholding’ in government, Gachagua revealed he had negotiated with Ruto on behalf of the Mount Kenya region before the 2022 elections. According to him, the deal was that if the region delivered 70 percent of the votes, it would receive 40 percent of government positions.

He, however, lamented that the agreement was never put in writing, a move he now regrets.

"It was a quid pro quo. Among the positions I negotiated for were ministries of Finance, Interior, Trade, Lands, and the Attorney General’s office. But when he failed to honour the deal, we fell apart," Gachagua said.