Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has openly rebuked former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, accusing him of distorting political history and falsely attempting to position himself as a liberation hero.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday following the cancellation of a planned rally at Kamkunji Grounds, Odinga recounted the sacrifices and brutal repression endured by those who challenged the one-party rule of the late President Daniel arap Moi’s KANU regime.
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He traced the origins of the pro-democracy movement, recalling early meetings he held with his father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, and reformist leaders such as Kenneth Matiba and Charles Rubia.
“It is quite unfortunate that some of those we were fighting back then—and who sanctioned arrests—are now trying to hide behind Saba Saba to advance their political fortunes. Some of them are still alive today, masquerading as liberators,” Odinga said.Although he did not name Gachagua directly, Odinga’s description pointed to the former Deputy President, who served as a provincial administrator during the Moi era—a role that was complicit in suppressing dissent.
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Odinga charged that Gachagua and others are deliberately hijacking the democratic struggle narrative to boost their political ambitions.
“It was not one group against the entire nation. It was not one community against another, or one generation against another. The movement stood for peaceful and constitutional change,” he stated.Odinga also addressed the youth-led Saba Saba demonstrations, stating that the 35th anniversary should have been marked through structured civic engagement, not spontaneous street protests.
“Saba Saba commemoration belongs at Kamkunji Grounds, not on the streets. That’s where it began, and that’s where it belongs,” Odinga said, following the rally’s cancellation due to heavy police presence and road barricades.
