Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has assured Nyeri residents that he will make it a top priority to revive all stalled development projects in the region once he ascends to power in 2027, promising that the wounds inflicted by failed leadership will be healed and that the region will be restored to its developmental momentum.
Speaking on Thursday, April 24, 2025, during the burial of his aunt in Hiriga, Mathira Constituency, the former second-in-command offered an emotionally charged address to mourners, shifting momentarily from grief to governance.
He reflected on what he termed a betrayal of the people of Nyeri by the current regime and vowed that if given the mandate again, he would personally see to it that every road, water project, and stalled initiative in the county is completed.
“When the time comes, we will mend the leadership of this country. Mheshimiwa, do not be worried about the stalled development in this area — it may stall for the next two years, but we will come back and repair it,” he declared, adding that residents should not be discouraged by the temporary stall in development, especially within Mathira and its environs.
The former Mathira MP also vowed that his return to power would usher in a new era of repair and revival, promising that roads leading to the governor’s residence and neighbouring areas would be completed and that the water projects he previously initiated — including the installation of large tanks for irrigation and household use — would be fully restored.
“The roads leading to the governor’s residence and other areas will be completed. Even the water projects I started will be revived. You’ve seen the big tanks I helped install for irrigation and domestic use.”
Gachagua did not hold back in expressing his frustration, claiming that he had recently watched someone on television taking credit for a road he himself had constructed in 2021, a moment he said was both laughable and insulting to the people of Nyeri.
He claimed that the locals had themselves witnessed him handling major projects during his tenure as both MP and later as Deputy President, and he emphasised that no one could rewrite that history.
Leaders set for doom
Gachagua went on to hint at stormy days ahead for some politicians currently in power, cryptically suggesting that a few of them would soon “face the music” in the years to come.
He said he was thankful to God for rescuing him from their inner circle just in time, adding that 2027 would mark the moment they finally meet their reckoning.
In the same breath, he took a swipe at President William Ruto, accusing him of deceiving not only the nation but also religious leaders, fellow politicians, and even himself — all with false promises dressed in scripture.
“I don’t want to be there when he faces that music,” Gachagua told the crowd, saying that what Ruto is going through now is a battle coming at him from all sides and one he would not wish to be caught in. With a tinge of humour and regret, he said.
“We did wrong to go to the wedding in someone else’s car,” he added, metaphorically referring to the Kenya Kwanza alliance, and promised never to make that mistake again, announcing that his own party would be officially launched in May.
He also issued a heartfelt public apology to the people of Nyeri, admitting that he had led them to trust Ruto — a man he now describes as having masterfully used religion and scripture to mask his true intentions. Gachagua confessed that he, too, had fallen for the façade, blinded by what he thought was a shared vision and integrity.
In a moment of raw honesty, he said he had since found comfort in knowing that even respected and anointed church leaders were misled by Ruto’s theatrics, a fact that, in his own words, made his error of judgement negotiable.
“He came with the Bible, and we believed him,” Gachagua told mourners. “But now I see clearly, and I ask you to forgive me for convincing you to follow him.”