Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has issued a public apology over his role in the 2022 General Election campaigns, admitting that he made serious mistakes and vowing to correct them at the ballot.
In a strongly worded statement, Gachagua said he campaigned aggressively for a leader he now believes has failed Kenyan youth, particularly in Kieni Constituency.
He accused the current leadership of promoting policies that undermine youth empowerment and national development.
“During the 2022 campaigns, I made many mistakes which I must correct and I will stop at nothing,” Gachagua said.
He took issue with overseas labour programmes, claiming that young people are being sent abroad without adequate skills, describing the practice as “modern-day slavery” and a form of “backward brain drain.”
“I campaigned vigorously for this Mzee,Wainaina Njoroge (Kieni MP) who now wants our young people in Kieni to be empowered to be computer illiterate before they proceed to Singapore,” he said.
The former deputy president offered an apology to residents of Kieni, saying he was seeking forgiveness for misleading them during the last election.
“I once again apologize to the people of Kieni and seek their forgiveness,” he said.
Gachagua said he would work closely with voters in Kieni and other constituencies to reverse what he termed a wrong political choice, signalling his intention to play a central role in the next election.
“I will do whatever it takes to join the people of Kieni and many other constituencies, and above all, Kenya’s Presidency, in correcting this mistake on August 10 next year,” he added.
While he did not directly name the individual he was referring to, Gachagua suggested that the leader he supported in 2022 was representative of a wider political culture he now opposes.
“In any case, this mzee is just a motif of the majority of whom we have,” he said.
