Former Deputy President and DCP party leader Rigathi Gachagua encountered a harsh reality check from a section of Kenyan diaspora community living in the United States, as he tried to defend his controversial political views during a town hall meeting in Baltimore on July 27. His remarks favoring Mt. Kenya communities drew sharp criticism from young diaspora members who demanded accountability and inclusivity ahead of the 2027 General Election. The verbal debate exchange began when Valentine Wanjiru Githae, a youth representative affiliated with the 625 Movement, accused Gachagua of promoting ethnic bias.
“We cannot say people from other tribes are not hardworking,” Valentine Wanjiru Githae told him. “This sense of entitlement as Kikuyus must stop. If we identify solely by tribe, we only fuel division.”
Valentine Wanjiru questioned the relevance of his “Murima first” agenda and challenged him to explain how such a narrative could resonate with Gen Z Kenyans, many of whom reject ethnic-based politics.
Former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua pushed back, saying Mt. Kenya residents face what he called “discrimination and persecution,” and insisted their concerns should not be dismissed. He praised the youth for being bold and unbound by tribal lines. “This generation is fearless and tribeless,” Gachagua said. “They will help us deal with this nonsense.”
Another young man at the meeting raised deeper concerns about Gachagua’s role in the current administration and his political alliances.
“Why should we trust your judgment in 2027 if it’s the same judgment that gave us Ruto?” the attendee asked, referencing Gachagua’s support for President William Ruto in 2022.
The former deputy president admitted his endorsement of Ruto was a mistake.
“In my community, we say making a mistake is not wrong it’s repeating it that is,” DCP party leader said. “People will judge me by whether I chose truth over comfort since then.” Gachagua further encouraged the youth to enter the political arena. “The campaign space is open. Let the new blood step up and lead,” he said.
Despite trying to separate himself from the Kenya Kwanza administration, Gachagua’s earlier statements accusing President Ruto of targeting the Kikuyu community continue to follow him. On July 9, he claimed the president had resumed the same tactics used during the 2007 post-election violence.
“History is repeating itself,” DCP party leader Gachagua said then. “Ruto wants to destroy Kikuyu businesses and isolate us.”
The remark sparked strong backlash from leaders allied to President Ruto, who labeled Gachagua’s comments as inflammatory and divisive.
His US town hall meetings already held in Boston and Seattle are meant to court diaspora support. However, the engagements have also exposed the growing disillusionment among young Kenyans abroad who are demanding leaders who focus on national unity, economic reform, and political accountability.
Many attendees urged Gachagua to shift his focus to policy and drop the ethnic messaging that has defined much of his recent rhetoric.
His ongoing tour suggests an attempt to rebrand ahead of 2027, but the reception so far indicates that Kenya’s youth especially in the diaspora are not interested in recycled tribal narratives.
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