Karua clarifies separate invitation from Gachagua to Seattle diaspora event

Karua, the People’s Liberation Party leader and long-time advocate for civil liberties, served as the chief guest at the cultural event that brought together members of the Kenyan diaspora in the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

Gachagua, the former Deputy President and current leader of the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), attended with his wife, Pastor Dorcas Gachagua.

While their joint appearance at the festival sparked immediate public interest back home, Karua clarified that, while she and Gachagua attended the event, they were invited separately and made separate travel arrangements.

“I am here as Ngemi Festival’s chief guest, while @rigathi, my brother, was invited separately and is accompanied by @dorcasrigathi_,” Karua wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “We are attending the same event, each traveling separately.”

Despite the logistical distinctions, the two opposition figures struck a similar tone in their sharp rebuke of the current administration’s handling of dissent and governance.

Karua used her platform to issue a call for radical political renewal in Kenya, condemning what she described as a state that has turned against its own citizens.

“We don’t need a government that abducts, kills, and steals from its own people,” she said. “We are here to offer a transformational alternative—leadership anchored in justice and dignity.”

Gachagua, addressing the diaspora crowd, echoed the sentiment, accusing the government of using state machinery to silence critical voices—particularly the youth.

“They have killed our Gen Zs, and the rest face trumped-up charges in court,” he said. “This regime is using fear to suppress dissent. But we are telling Kenyans—don’t be afraid. We must confront this head-on.”