CS Wahome fires back at Gachagua over 'flower girl' remarks

Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome said she had never asked Gachagua to speak on her behalf.

Lands, Housing and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome has responded to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s recent remarks, accusing him of making baseless and demeaning statements about her role in government.

Speaking during a visit to Muruka village in Kandara on Tuesday, Wahome dismissed Gachagua’s claim that she holds no authority in her docket and is only retained in government to earn a salary for the sake of her children.

Over the weekend, Gachagua, while addressing a crowd in the same village, said Wahome was merely a “flower girl” in the Lands Ministry.

In a statement made in Kikuyu, he alleged: “Huyu mama hana sauti kwa Serikali. Nilimwambia akae kwa Serikali akule mshahara juu ya watoto,” loosely translated to mean: “This woman has no voice in government. I told her to stay there just to earn a salary because of her children.”

In a firm rebuttal, Wahome said she had never asked Gachagua to speak on her behalf and refuted the claims about her personal life.

"I had not approached him to speak on my behalf. He said I'm only in government because of the salary for my children. I'm not in government because of my children, all of them are grown up and working," she stated.

Wahome further advised Gachagua to refrain from personal attacks.

“He should keep my name out of his politics. You don't throw stones when living in a glass house. I'm in government to serve the people of Kenya through my Ministry,” she added.

Despite the political tension, Wahome used her visit to rally support for the Kenya Kwanza administration, emphasizing the ongoing development initiatives spearheaded by her Ministry.

She cited several key projects in the region, including the construction of modern markets under the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP), affordable housing units, and the completion of Kandara Level 4 Bildad Kaggia Hospital.

She also took a swipe at unnamed critics pushing the narrative of a one-term presidency, saying such individuals were unlikely to return to leadership themselves.

“Those choreographing ‘one-term’ songs are the very ones who will serve for only one term,” she remarked.

Her remarks come amid heightened political tensions within the ruling coalition, as internal divisions begin to surface ahead of the 2027 general elections.