Gachagua: I wasn’t involved in Gen Z protests but fully support their cause

Former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua says he was not involved in last year’s June-July anti-government protests led by the youth.

In a joint interview with Citizen Digital sister outlets Mulembe FM, Vuuka FM and Sulwe FM on Tuesday, the former DP, who was impeached last October, accused his then-boss, President William Ruto, of linking him to the demos as part of a ploy to kick him out of office.

“When the Gen Z uprising began, Ruto already wanted me out of his government. He summoned his people and told them I was mobilising the youth because he could not explain why he was fighting me,” he told journalists.

“They teamed up and began accusing me of organising and financing the protests. I did not do any of that; if anything, if those good children had requested me to be their leader, I would have happily done it.”

Last year’s deadly protests forced Ruto to, among other things, withdraw a controversial finance bill which proposed tax hikes and disband his Cabinet.

Gachagua on Tuesday said he fully supports Kenyan youth, whom he described as a powerful factor in the 2027 general election, and urged them to register as voters.

“The youth are the main determiner of who leads this country; they have immense power and that is why I urge them to not only protest online but also register as voters, that is where the main decisions will be made,” he said.

“I might not have been involved with their protests but I fully support their cause. They are fearless and do not leave anything unsaid.”

Last September, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) approved charges against five Gachagua allies over alleged links to last year’s demos.

These include MPs Benjamin Gathiru (Embakasi Central), James Gakuya (Embakasi North), George Theuri (Embakasi West), former Nyeri Town MP Wambugu Ngunjiri, and Gachagua’s private secretary, Pius Munene.

The prosecution said there was “sufficient evidence” to charge the five with soliciting or inciting others, conspiracy to commit a felony, and money laundering.

Gachagua at the time dismissed the charges as politically motivated, saying Ruto and some members of his Cabinet were using the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the DPP’s office to “soil my name and hopefully create grounds for the mooted impeachment proceedings against me.”