Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has dismissed accusations that he bullies and intimidates Members of Parliament and other elected leaders within the ruling Kenya Kwanza coalition.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Citizen TV’s Sam Gituku at his Karen residence, Gachagua clarified that his direct and candid approach is being misinterpreted as bullying.
“I don’t bully anybody. I am just truthful. I ask Members of Parliament to listen to the people on the ground, and they call that bullying. It’s not bullying; it’s just being honest,” he asserted.
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Gachagua suggested that the leaders making these allegations are uncomfortable with his commitment to grassroots concerns, as they prefer to cling to falsehoods.
He added that his critics are struggling to accept the truth because it conflicts with their agendas.
Responding to claims that MPs from his home county of Nyeri have distanced themselves and criticized him, the Deputy President alleged they are acting under coercion from higher powers attempting to oust him from his position.
“We have a problem in this country—people don’t want to hear the truth; they want to live in denial. Those MPs from my county are good people, but they’ve been subjected to intimidation,” Gachagua said.
He shrugged off the insults and threats of impeachment, stating that his primary concern is the support of the electorate.
“It doesn’t really matter…what matters is that the people of Nyeri are with me. Forty-four MCAs and the Governor of Nyeri are with me,” he affirmed.
Gachagua’s comments come amid rising tensions with Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, who has publicly called him a bully over his perceived interference in the capital’s governance.
“You can’t bully people for two years, and then when you’re mentioned for just one week, you start crying. Bullies are the biggest cowards. If you want respect, respect other leaders,” Sakaja said during a UDA Delegates Conference at Bomas in June 2024.
