Peter Kaluma Rips Into Rigathi Gachagua’s ‘Cousin’ Narrative, Warns Kenyans: "Narrow Ethnic Agenda"
- Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma dismissed Rigathi Gachagua’s 'cousin' remarks, accusing him of using other communities for selfish ethnic gains
- Kaluma claimed that when Gachagua had the power to allocate Cabinet positions, he gave all the slots to Kikuyus, ignoring the communities he now seeks to align with
- His sentiments came after Gachagua cautioned President William Ruto against meddling in the emerging political partnership between Mount Kenya and Ukambani leaders
Nancy Odindo, a TUKO.co.ke journalist, has over four years of experience covering Kenyan politics, news, and features for digital and print media.
Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma has strongly dismissed former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua’s recent remarks, referring to the Kamba and Mount Kenya communities as 'cousins.'
Source: Facebook
Gachagua made the remarks during his recent tour of the Ukambani region alongside Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka.
In his response, Kaluma accused the DP of exploiting other tribes to advance a narrow ethnic agenda.
Search option is now available at TUKO! Feel free to search the content on topics/people you enjoy reading about in the top right corner ;)
The lawmaker questioned why Gachagua now considers Kambas and Kisiis as close allies, yet previously sidelined them when allocating Cabinet positions.
"So, when did Kalonzo and Matiang'i become cousins of Gachagua, when DP Kindiki is not! When did Kambas and Kisiis become closer cousins of Kikuyus than the Aembu and Ameru people?" he posed.
He claimed that during his time as deputy president, Gachagua ensured most Cabinet slots went to his Kikuyu community, ignoring other groups he now seeks to associate with.
Why is Kaluma opposed to Gachagua's 'cousin' remarks?
Kaluma further accused Gachagua of being a divisive leader who routinely enlists other communities to support tribal-driven battles disguised as national interests.
According to the outspoken ODM leader, this tactic has historically been used to exploit alliances, only for the dominant community to retreat and benefit alone once their objectives are achieved.
"Gachagua is not looking for “cousins”. He is a divisive character looking for people to misuse. Whenever they want to pursue their narrow ethnic agenda, the tribalists rope in other communities to fight their wars under all sorts of disguises. Once their agenda is met, they will retreat to their ethnic cocoon to eat everything alone!" claimed Kaluma.
Source: Facebook
Meanwhile, Gachagua had warned President William Ruto against interfering with what he termed a blossoming political union between the Mount Kenya region and Ukambani leaders.
Since his impeachment in October 2024, Gachagua has openly aligned himself with the opposition and consistently criticised the government at every public forum.
Together with other opposition leaders, he has formed a new coalition aimed at unseating President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election.
Gachagua has repeatedly accused Ruto’s administration of underperformance and failure to deliver on key promises made to Kenyans.
Did Sudi warn Gachagua against ill talks?
In other news, during the Kapseret Constituency Economic Empowerment event, Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi sharply criticised Gachagua over his frequent public attacks on the president.
Sudi warned Gachagua that continued disrespect towards the president could trigger political action against him in the Mt. Kenya region.
He accused him of being overly preoccupied with Ruto, suggesting that Gachagua focuses more on political rhetoric than delivering development.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
