A section of ODM-allied Members of Parliament has hit back at former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over his recent remarks on the region’s political direction, accusing him of attempting to rewrite his political history and portray himself as a friend of a region whose leaders he previously criticised.
Led by Seme MP Hon. James Nyikal, the lawmakers said Nyanza would not be treated as a political trophy or a bloc of votes to be captured by ethnic brokers ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Addressing a press conference at Parliament Buildings on Wednesday afternoon, the MPs said Mr. Gachagua was free to seek support across the country but warned that the region would make its own political decisions based on its interests, leadership and democratic convictions.
“While Mr. Gachagua is entitled to pursue his political ambitions and seek support in every part of Kenya, he must understand that Nyanza is neither politically naïve nor afflicted by collective amnesia,” the MPs said in a joint statement to the media.
They questioned what they described as a sudden change in Mr. Gachagua’s attitude towards Nyanza, recalling that he had previously portrayed the region and its leadership as hostile to the Government.
The MPs said Mr. Gachagua had for years built his political identity around rhetoric portraying Nyanza as confrontational and hostile to the Government, including references to stereotypes that described its people as “stone throwers”.
“Today, he suddenly claims a different story of special relationship with our people. We therefore ask: Which Gachagua should Nyanza believe? And why?” they posed.
The lawmakers challenged the former Deputy President to explain what had changed in his political philosophy when the change occurred and why Nyanza residents should now trust him.
They said political conversion was possible but insisted that it should be accompanied by confession and accountability.
The MPs also rejected Mr. Gachagua’s reported prediction that President William Ruto would secure only about 30 per cent of the Nyanza vote in the next election.
“Nyanza does not take voting instructions from Rigathi Gachagua,” they said, adding that residents would determine their political choices when the time comes.
The lawmakers further warned Mr. Gachagua against assuming that his personal relationships with a few Nyanza leaders amounted to political ownership of the region.
“Nyanza has its own leaders, institutions, history and political agency,” they said.
They also took exception to what they termed an attempt to appropriate the political legacy of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, arguing that Mr. Odinga’s relationship with Nyanza and the wider country had been forged through decades of political struggle and sacrifice.
“Raila’s relationship with the people of Nyanza and the whole Kenyan nation was forged through decades of sacrifice, struggle and commitment to democracy, justice and national reform,” the MPs said.
They added that the legacy could not be inherited through political companionship or claimed by an individual.
On his part, Gem MP Hon. Elisha Odhiambo said Nyanza had historically played a significant role in determining the country’s political direction and would continue to influence national politics.
“I take great exception to the utterances of the Honourable Gachagua. I want to remind him that Nyanza remains a pillar in the politics of this country,” Mr. Odhiambo said.
He cited historical instances in which Nyanza leaders helped shape presidential politics including the vice president Hon. Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’s support for Kenya’s first president Jomo Kenyatta and Raila Odinga’s endorsement of former President Mwai Kibaki in the 2002 election dubbed “Kibaki Tosha”.
Mr. Odhiambo said Nyanza would continue to make its own political calculations rather than follow directions from individual politicians.
He went further to claim that Mr. Gachagua’s political future was constrained by his impeachment, arguing that he should concentrate on offering his political agenda elsewhere.
“If he has anything to offer, I ask him to offer it in Nyeri. If he has anything to offer for the country, because you cannot be talking every day, disparaging each community,” Mr. Odhiambo said.
He also cautioned political leaders against making remarks that could divide Kenyans along ethnic lines.
Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang adopted a more combative tone, warning Mr. Gachagua against what he described as political provocation of the Nyanza community.
“The point that we are making is that we don’t want provocation. We don’t want provocation, and we react very poorly to provocation,” Mr. Kajwang said.
The Gem legislator recalled the political tensions surrounding the 2023 anti-government demonstrations and accused the then Deputy President of responsibility for the use of force against protesters.
“We have not forgotten the day you shot at us when Ruto left this country for you in 2023,” Mr Kajwang said, referring to what he described as the security response during the protests.
He alleged that the events surrounding the demonstrations could not simply be dismissed as “Mambo ya siasa”, insisting that the Nyanza community had not forgotten them.
Mr. Kajwang, however, said Mr Gachagua was welcome to visit Nyanza including the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Mausoleum but challenged him to explain remarks he allegedly made about the region during the period of Raila Odinga’s burial.
“Come to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Mausoleum. We have opened the doors. You come and mourn, but tell us also why you spoke those bad epithets when we were burying Raila Amollo Odinga,” he said.
He cautioned against political rhetoric that could provoke violence, while maintaining that Nyanza residents would respond if they felt provoked.
“We don’t want to have populations being incited to violence, but you can incite us to violence by provoking us,” he said.
Mr. Kajwang also sought to challenge any suggestion that political loyalty in Nairobi and other parts of the country could be determined along ethnic lines.
He said residents of Ruaraka, including members of the Kikuyu community, had demonstrated that political support was not dictated by ethnic identity.
“Let him know that we are people of cool minds, but we can react very badly when provoked,” he said.
The MPs said the issues Nyanza wanted addressed were not about ethnic arithmetic or political supremacy but development, including jobs for young people, investment and industrialisation, roads, energy and infrastructure, modern agriculture, revival of the fishing economy, better healthcare and education and economic empowerment.
They challenged Mr. Gachagua to account for his record towards the region when he served as Deputy President before seeking its political support.
“What did he do for Nyanza when he occupied the second-highest office in the Republic and did not need its votes?” they posed.
The MPs said Nyanza would listen to all political players but would ultimately make its own decision.
“Nyanza will listen to everyone. But Nyanza will decide for itself,” they said.
The statement was backed by MPs including Suna West’s Peter Masara, Kibra’s Peter Orero, Kisumu Central’s Joshua Oron, Nyakach’s Aduma Owuor and Mathare’s Tom Oluoch.
