26/05/2025
Gachagua Couldn’t Save Himself—How Can He Save Kenya?
As the political climate in Kenya continues to shift, it is remarkable how fast public perception can swing. Less than a year after his historic impeachment in October 2024, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is being rebranded by some as a political genius and potential savior. But this emerging narrative ignores a hard truth: Gachagua's fall from power was neither accidental nor merely political—it was the result of deliberate, repeated, and deeply concerning failures in leadership.
Gachagua was impeached after the Senate found him guilty of inciting ethnic division, gross misconduct, threatening judicial officers, and persistently violating the Constitution. These are not trivial missteps—they reflect a pattern of behavior fundamentally at odds with the integrity required for high office.
His tenure was characterized by polarizing rhetoric, including his infamous declaration that the government was “a company with shareholders,” a sentiment that alienated large portions of the population and deepened ethnic divisions.
During the 2023 maandamano protests, his support for a heavy-handed response left many questioning whether he stood for national unity or political intimidation.
The idea that Gachagua, who failed to protect and preserve the dignity of the second-highest office in the land, could now offer solutions for Kenya’s future is not just flawed—it is dangerous. Effective leaders do not implode under the weight of responsibility; they rise to it.
Gachagua’s inability to hold together even his own seat of power disqualifies him from any claim to broader national salvation. Kenya deserves leaders who are unifiers, not antagonists—visionaries, not victims of their own recklessness.
