How Gachagua's strength became his weakness

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua arrives at the Senate for the second day of the hearing of an impeachment motion against him on October 17, 2024. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Geoffrey Rigathi Gachagua considered himself a village man with an ear to the ground yet never a coward.  Contrary to popular country music singer Kenny Rodgers’ advice to “know when to fold ‘em,” he believed a true man had to fight.

But by failing to heed caution, Gachagua ultimately paid the price leaving behind a bitter aftertaste of lost power and fears of political obscurity.

Legal battles and financial ruin now loom large for the 59-year-old who, until yesterday, was the second most powerful man in the country.  

When President William Ruto picked Gachagua as his running mate in 2022, he described him as a man with a strong personality, self-made, a people’s person and a politician of repute.

Ruto, then Deputy President said Gachagua was a passionate leader, charismatic, ground mobilizer and a great campaigner.

Those who knew Gachagua said he was a go-getter, abrasive, a man who never backed down in a fight, a leader with a sharp tongue that Ruto desperately wanted to annihilate his rival former President Uhuru Kenyatta who was fronting Azimio leader Raila Odinga as his preferred presidential candidate.

Simon Makonde of politics

Before he met his Waterloo on Thursday, October 17, at exactly 11.30pm, Gachagua had won the only two elections he had personally contested, that of Mathira in 2017 and 2022 when he ran as Ruto’s running mate. He spectacularly floored his opponents.

But his stint in politics is now the stuff of legends, mirroring the tale of Simon Makonde, a character from a primary school textbook. Like Makonde, who was born on a Monday and by Saturday had completed his life’s journey and was laid to rest, Gachagua’s political career, aside from his years as Uhuru’s Personal Assistant, lasted just seven years.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua acknowledges greetings from Homabay Residents during the commissioning of the Rusinga Ring Road, Homa Bay County. [PCS]

Like Simon Makonde, Gachagua's political life has run its course and his colourful obituary was read on broadcast live on national television to global audiences as he was tried and impeached, even as his lawyers protested that he was unwell.

His political life now hangs in the balance after he was impeached by both the National Assembly and the Senate with the implications being remaining in political Siberia for 10 years.

Before joining politics, Gachagua operated in the shadows of his late brother Nderitu Gachagua, who was a household name in Nyeri who went against the grain in 2013 to become Nyeri governor flying the now dissolved Grand National Union party ticket.

Though Gachagua’s name was not felt in the public arena, those who knew him said he was a powerful figure during his brother’s tenure. He called the shots in the county administration.

He is touted to be the man who ran Nyeri County when his brother fell ill. He ensured that the county government ran smoothly despite his brother’s absence as he was airlifted abroad for treatment in the UK.

Before assisting his brother in running the affairs of the county, Gachagua had worked for Uhuru as his personal assistant during the 2002 presidential race. He, however, became one of Uhuru’s harshest critics and a fierce defender of Ruto in the last elections.

He ended up being the face of Tanga Tanga (a wing of Jubilee MPs allied to the DP in Mt Kenya).

Due to his deep pockets and outbursts against the government, he earned himself the title, of regional overseer of Ruto’s presidential campaign. 

Whenever he is accused of being abrasive, he has claimed that his parents were Mau Mau freedom fighters. He schooled at Kabiru-in Primary School in Nyeri and later joined Kianyaga Boys High School in Kirinyaga. He is also an alumnus of the University of Nairobi where he pursued Political Science and Literature before joining Oklahoma University in the US.

Decisive and firm

When he jetted back into the country, Gachagua was employed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs between 1989 to 1992. He was sent to work as a District Officer (DO) in Molo where he got close to the then country’s second President Daniel Moi. He once worked as a personal assistant to Head of Civil Service Philip Mbithi in the 1990s and among his briefs was writing speeches for the former President.

It is perhaps the experience he got from working with Moi and Uhuru that he counted as attributes that would favour him as the best running mate for Ruto.

President William Ruto and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua after a press conference at State House Nairobi. [File, Standard]

Those who know Rigathi say he is decisive and has a firm stand on political, social and economic affairs.

During the campaigns, Gachagua did not disappoint his boss, he lit so many fires and battles with whoever crossed Ruto’s path. From Uhuru, Raila, and Mt Kenya MPs who were Uhuru’s allies to candidates who vied for various political seats in the Mt Kenya region sponsored by the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) sister parties.

He wanted them to step down and support UDA-sponsored candidates to prevent confusion that UDA was not a strong party in Mt Kenya region. He never saw a fight he did not want to join. On September 30, Gachagua in an interview with Meru local radio stations confirmed that he would not go down without a fight where he said he was an experienced man who had worked in the government and private sector for over 30 years.

“As an administrator, I worked for 15 years and another 15 in the private sector. If you add the five years in Parliament as the MP for Mathira, that is 35 years of experience. I am an all-rounder and I know the government like the back of my hand. If there is war and I am asked to defend my country, I will take a gun and bring down the enemy,” he said.

 His attributes during the election worked magic for the Kenya Kwanza administration and rallied his backyard in Ruto’s political basket with the yellow wave sweeping across the region.

Upon assuming office, his attributes started working against him. MPs led by National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah had their reservations against Gachagua during the journey to look for a running mate.

“We raised the reservations that we had and hoped that those things would be ironed over time and hope that having raised the issues we thought he would reflect upon himself and be amiable with people by not being abrasive and being vindictive which has alienated many leaders from him,” he said.

Ichungwa was referring to the incidents of May 14 and 15 of 2022 when the majority of MPs picked Kindiki as Ruto’s running mate but Ruto ended up picking Gachagua saying he marched with the skills of a running mate he was looking for.

 “Gachagua is a public servant whose sole goal is to help others. He is a very passionate leader, a people person. He speaks about ordinary people and is concerned about matters to do with farmers. What I like about him is his passion for people issues, he is one of those leaders who are passionate about people, I’m comfortable with him because Kenya needs such strong people who can tackle the challenges of a nation,” Ruto said then.

Night of long knives

 The 17 hours of night of long knives at the official residence of the Deputy President where the Kenya Kwanza coalition had retreated to look for Ruto’s running mate witnessed disagreements and near bare knuckles as the participants differed on Gachagua’s suitability but due to his toughness, he triumphed.

When he was appointed Deputy President, Ruto assigned him to deal with the coffee and tea woes as well as the alcohol menace in the country. At the time, pundits warned him that Ruto had given him a rope to hang himself.

Coffee and tea woes and the fight against illicit brew were among the issues that were contained in Gachagua’s grounds of impeachment.