Gachagua under fire after ‘Raila is irrelevant’ comments while abroad

Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi has told off former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua for writing off ODM leader Raila Odinga’s influence in the run-up to the 2027 elections.

While fielding questions from Kenyans in the United States, Gachagua said Raila has lost his influence in parts of the country that voted for him in the 2022 general elections.

He said the ODM leader will not assist President William Ruto to win the 2027 election because he has lost Kisii, Kamba, and part of the Luhya votes that voted for him in the last election.

Mr Gachagua conducted his first official engagement with the Kenyan diaspora in Seattle, Washington State, three days ago.

He termed the former prime minister as politically irrelevant in the 2027 elections, saying that he brings nothing to the table and would not influence the outcome of the elections.

Yesterday, CS Wandayi and Majority Whip in the National Assembly Silvanus Osoro said that Gachagua needed to address the country’s agenda while in Kenya and not in the U.S.

“I saw the former deputy president in America to gather his tribesmen and talk ill about Kenya. That is lacking patriotism,” CS Wandayi said.

Speaking during an interdenominational prayer at the Kabobo in Nyatike Sub-County, the leaders questioned why Gachagua had to travel thousands of miles to address his tribesmen.

“Why should he not address them here in Kenya? That is lacking discipline and is a show of dividing the country,” Wandayi stated.

He told Gachagua to address his agenda in a manner that united and did not divide the country.

Minority Whip Osoro dared the former deputy president to speak about Raila’s political irrelevance in the Nyanza and Coastal regions.

“Don’t speak about Raila Odinga. Stop speaking about Raila when you are in the US. Come and do that in Kisii, Kisumu, Migori, and Mombasa. There are those people whom you cannot joke with. One of them is Raila Odinga,” Osoro warned.

According to the minority whip, Gachagua should avoid addressing Raila, whom he says is beyond his pay cheque.

“Addressing only five MPs is a problem to you, yet you want to address Raila. Raila is the one who brought peace. We would not be having peace right now. That freedom you are abusing is Raila who brought it,” Osoro remarked.

Moreover, Osoro stated that people should stop the politics of entitlement, of thinking that they are the only ones who are supposed to lead the country.

He emphasised that Kenya belonged to everyone. Osoro pointed out that he supports Raila’s call for a national dialogue.

“People must talk. Today we have had a fracas here, and we have talked,” he stated.

Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko asked Kenyans not to listen to the former deputy president but to focus on the development projects President Ruto had taken to different parts of the country.

“There is that one person who insults everyone. He is the one spreading lies that President Ruto is a one-term president,” Governor Ayacko said.

Other leaders who converged for the prayers include Migori Senator Eddy Oketch, Teso South MP Mary Emaase, Kuria East MP Maisori Kitayama, Nyatike MP Tom Odege, and Migori Woman Representative Fatuma Mohammed, among others.