Gachagua was wrong to skip Raila's burial, says Tony Gachoka

Former Raila Odinga Chief of Protocol, Tony Gachoka criticise former DP Rigathi Gachagua for skipping Odinga's burial. [David Gichuru, Standard]

Former Raila Odinga Chief of Protocol, Tony Gachoka, has criticised former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua for skipping Odinga's burial on Sunday.

Gachoka opined that the event was symbolic as the country was briefly united by loss and that Gachagua's absence was a political miscalculation.

"It was an error of judgment. Not to visit Mama Ida, not to attend the national event...it was out of character," he said while on Spice FM on Tuesday, October 21.

Instead, on the day Kenya bid farewell to its most iconic opposition leader, Gachagua was reportedly celebrating his wife Dorcas' birthday, an act many saw as a personal misstep.

"It was a failure of leadership. This was a national gathering, and the government should have given the opposition space to speak. Raila would have wanted that. He would have insisted that even his critics have a moment to express themselves. That's the Raila we knew," he said.

He added that while Gachagua decided to skip all public viewing and funeral services, his co-principals in the United Opposition attended.

"Kenya's political class put aside its differences to honor the man who defined the country's democratic struggle. For a leader who has never shied away from the spotlight to miss, the silence was deafening," said Gachoka.

"The burial of Raila Odinga was a wakeup call where the whole country converged together, because sometimes in death you bring unity which is a litmus test for the nation."

On social media, X used Samwel Wekesa wrote: "I expected to see Gachagua at Nyayo Stadium today (Friday), just like Kalonzo and others who paid their respects. Kalonzo showed true statesmanship."

But others, like Babji, defended him: "Gachagua showing up would have turned things sour. Staying away was the right thing to let people mourn peacefully."

The former DP himself has issued no official statement over his absence.

Yet, allies were quick to defend him. Kiambu Senator Karungo wa Thang'wa described his absence as "dignified maturity."

"His absence was not defiance or weakness. It was a deliberate act of statesmanship, emotional intelligence, and deep respect for a moment bigger than politics. Even in silence, the nation felt his presence," Thang'wa said.

Gachoka urged politicians to pick lessons from Odinga's death in building bridges with their enemies. "Raila taught us that it's possible to speak with your enemy for the sake of the country. His legacy is about alliances, dialogue, and the courage to cross divides."

He observed that just like during independence was a momentous period, the death of Raila Odinga will remain a reference point in Kenya on how to do alliance building in the past.