The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has unleashed a scathing attack on former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, branding him “the worst tribal demagogue in Kenya’s history.”
This blistering statement came from UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar, just hours after Gachagua officially severed ties with the party — nearly six months after his dramatic ouster through impeachment on October 18, 2024.
In a resignation letter circulated on social media, Gachagua didn’t hold back, describing UDA as “the most dangerous political moment” for Kenya.
He accused President William Ruto’s administration of deceiving the public about its reform agenda, slamming government policies such as the competency-based curriculum and new university funding model as “incoherent and corrupt.”
According to Gachagua, UDA had squandered a historic opportunity to transform the country economically, socially, and politically.
UDA hit back immediately, dismissing Gachagua as a “toxic, archaic, and polarizing individual.”
The party further characterized his resignation as a desperate attempt to distort the truth about his tenure and impeachment, which they claimed liberated the nation from “the worst of the tribal bigots to ever hold such high office.”
The fallout between Ruto and Gachagua has been brewing since their 2022 campaign triumph, with relations souring amid accusations of betrayal and growing ideological rifts.
Since his removal, Gachagua has reinvented himself as a fierce critic of the very government he helped form, joining hands with opposition heavyweights Martha Karua, Kalonzo Musyoka, and Eugene Wamalwa to launch what they’ve dubbed a “new resistance” against Ruto’s leadership.
Farmers Party: Reinstall Gachagua as DP
In a dramatic turn, the Farmers Party — which recently ditched the Kenya Kwanza Alliance — announced plans to hold a protest march to the official Deputy President’s residence in Nairobi’s Karen area on Tuesday.
Their goal: to “reinstate” Rigathi Gachagua as Kenya’s rightful Deputy President.
The protest plans follow a major legal development after the Court of Appeal on Friday overturned a decision by Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu, who had appointed a three-judge bench to handle a petition challenging Gachagua’s impeachment.
The appellate court ruled that only the Chief Justice has the authority to make such appointments, raising fresh questions about the legality of Gachagua’s removal and the subsequent appointment of Kithure Kindiki as Deputy President.
In light of the ruling, the Farmers Party formally wrote to Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja seeking security for their planned procession.
“We, the party and members of the public, will be holding a peaceful procession tomorrow to the official Deputy President’s residence in Karen to reinstall Rigathi Gachagua as the Deputy President-designate of the Republic of Kenya,” read the statement.
The party insisted their action is rooted in upholding the rule of law and defending the “sovereign will of the Kenyan people” who elected Gachagua as Ruto’s running mate in 2022.
Gachagua, speaking at a church service in Juja, Kiambu County on Sunday, expressed confidence in the judiciary, stating, “We have judges of integrity who will give justice not only to Rigathi Gachagua but to the people of Kenya.”
The Farmers Party is currently led by former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu, who was himself impeached in 2020 over Ksh.588 million corruption charges that saw him jailed for 12 years and barred from holding public office for seven years.
The party formally exited the Kenya Kwanza coalition in April, citing “dishonesty, political infidelity, and outright disregard for both the Constitution of Kenya (2010) and the spirit of our Coalition Agreement.”
Police warn Farmers Party over protests
Police on Tuesday warned against planned protests at the official residence of the Deputy President Kithure Kindiki in Karen, Nairobi.
Anti-riot police deployed said they will not allow the planned protests. The anti-riot police were deployed on major routes to stop and check any suspicious cars and motorcycles.
Nairobi region police commander George Sedah said they will not allow the planned protests to happen there.
“They should keep off for now,” he said.
Nyakera’s Farmers Party wrote to the police arguing their motivation to protest at the protected home is out of a court ruling on former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s removal from office.
