Gachagua's arrogance proves why we impeached him: MP Kawaya

Mwala Member of Parliament Vincent Musyoka Kawaya says Gachagua's conduct within the opposition has vindicated those who supported his removal from office, arguing that his confrontational leadership style is now threatening to tear apart the opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Speaking during a women's economic empowerment drive at Ngelani in Machakos Town Constituency, Kawaya claimed Gachagua had previously been accused by MPs of promoting ethnic divisions and undermining national cohesion through his public remarks.

The legislator said Kenyans who initially questioned the impeachment were now witnessing the same traits that informed the decision to remove him, pointing to his recent exchanges with fellow opposition leaders.

“Wakenya wengi waliona tukimfukuza yule mkabila, yule suti kombo ambaye katika bunge yetu, wabunge wote walikuwa wanacomplain wakisema huyu mtu haleti amani, analeta mgawanyiko katika nchi yetu ya Kenya,” Kawaya said.

He accused the former DP of repeatedly portraying certain communities as superior to others while making divisive remarks about ethnic groups and their entitlement to national resources.

Kawaya maintained that Gachagua's alleged arrogance, including his alleged present dealings with colleagues in the opposition, demonstrated why he was unfit to lead the country.

“Today, I stand tall with Kenyans who must vindicate us. When we removed him, some people said we were victimising him, while others said we were the problem. But Kenyans have now seen how he speaks and can understand the reasons why we impeached him,” he said.

“The level of arrogance you have seen from Rigathi Gachagua, even towards his own colleagues in the disunited opposition, tells you clearly some of the reasons why we impeached him. That level of arrogance cannot lead Kenyans.”

The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) National Organising Secretary further predicted an imminent split within the opposition, arguing that Gachagua's leadership approach made it difficult for any political formation under his influence to maintain internal cohesion.

He also took issue with remarks attributed to the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader suggesting that he would not seek votes to help a community without sufficient numbers produce the country's President.

Kawaya termed the remarks insulting to Kenyans from smaller ethnic communities, arguing that the country's leadership should not be determined by the numerical strength of any particular tribe.

“What about us Kenyans whose tribes do not have numbers? Are you telling children of mama mboga, farmers and fishermen who were born into smaller communities that they have no chance of leading this country simply because their tribes are not large enough?” he posed.

He argued that presidential leadership should be determined by the quality of candidates rather than the numerical strength of their ethnic communities, insisting that no single tribe should claim ownership of the country's highest office.

“We understand your tribe might have larger numbers, but does that mean you are quality? Is it really about quantity? Let us abandon tribal politics because Kenya has many people from smaller communities who have the ability to unite Kenyans and bring development and peace,” Kawaya said.

He cautioned that electing a President on the strength of one community's votes would be dangerous for national cohesion, maintaining that all 42 communities deserve an equal opportunity to produce the country's leader.

Kawaya also defended President Ruto's development agenda, saying communities in Ukambani were beginning to experience the benefits of government projects after years of what he described as historical marginalisation.

He cited access to electricity, education and food security as some of the pressing concerns facing residents, arguing that ordinary Kenyans were more interested in tangible development than the ethnic identities of political leaders.

“We thank the President because many of us were seeing development on ViuSasa. There are communities that got water and electricity in their homes before I was born. People in Machakos Town and Ukambani do not want tribalism; they want to know when electricity will reach their homes, how their children will access education and how they will be supported to put food on the table,” he said.

Kawaya maintained that political leaders should prioritise addressing citizens' economic challenges instead of mobilising communities along ethnic lines.

His remarks come amid growing disagreements within the opposition over leadership, political influence and the direction of its 2027 presidential campaign, with Gachagua's public exchanges with fellow opposition figures exposing emerging cracks in the coalition.