Rigathi: Have many children who will educate younger siblings

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has encouraged Kenyans to have many children who, upon becoming adults, help to take care of the younger siblings.

Gachagua spoke on Tuesday, October 4 at Mathira Constituency in Nyeri County during the burial service of his elder brother Jackson Reriani.

Reriani died on September 24 after a short illness.

Gachagua said it was Reriani who funded his education from Form One to Form Six.

"Education is important. Parents, let us educate our children. In our family, we were nine siblings. Seven of us were educated to university level. Just imagine that the success rate was witnessed among children whose parents were peasant farmers. I'm urging you to get many children, educate the elder ones, who will, in turn, educate the younger siblings," said Gachagua.

The deputy president said his parents, Nahashon Gachagua and Martha Kirigo, educated two out of the nine children. The remaining seven, he said, were educated by the elder siblings.

"My parents educated Jackson Reriani and the late Nderitu Gachagua (the first Governor of Nyeri County). The rest of us were taken through school by Nderitu and Reriani," he said.

The deputy president, who has two sons, says he "regrets taking family planning advice too far".

"Some of us were not wise when the westerners came and advised us to give birth to fewest children possible. I had two. Looking back, I think I was foolish. When I sit in my big house, I'm usually alone with Pastor Dorcas. When you leave a glass on the table you'd come back after two months and find it on the same spot," he said.