Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has revealed that he intended to attend the late Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s state funeral at Nyayo stadium, but was advised by police to stay away due to alleged plans to harm him.
Speaking during an interview with a local Embu Television Station on Sunday November 16, Gachagua claimed to have received intelligence that plainclothes officers were plotting to attack him and blame it on the Luo community.
Gachagua stated that he changed his mind to avoid possible ethnic tensions that would have emerged between Luos and Kikuyus.
“I were to attend Raila’s burial in Nyayo Stadium as planned, some police officers warned me not to go because there were plans for officers in plain clothes to attack me. The plan was to beat me so that a narrative would emerge that I was attacked by Luo people, causing the Kikuyu community, where I am from, to hate the Luo people. That is why I changed my plans. You know Ruto would like the Luo and Kikuyu people to hate each other. Ruto usually hates to hear that Kikuyu and Luo can live in harmony, and it bothers him,” Gachagua said.
The DCP leader mentioned instances where the government allegedly sent police officers and goons to disrupt his meetings, including in Limuru and Mwiki, noting that none of the attackers had been arrested.
“I had planned to go to Nyayo Stadium, but you know how the government has been fighting me. Thugs and goons were sent to attack me in Limuru one day, and those people have not been arrested. In the fourth month, more people were sent to attack me in Mwiki, and they are also yet to be arrested. Even when I was coming back from America, I was similarly attacked by officers in plain clothes, and they have not been arrested,” Gachagua stated.
He also disclosed that he had planned to attend Odinga’s burial in Bondo but chose not to, citing the lies being spread by President Ruto and a section of leaders in government.
The former Deputy President slammed Ruto for pretending to praise Raila Odinga in death, accusing him of hypocrisy, saying he used to call him names while he was still alive.
“Even for the main burial, there were similar plans for me to be attacked. Another reason I did not attend the burial is that I could not have withstood the lies being spread there. For example, President Ruto was all over the place saying Raila was a great leader, yet he previously said Raila was a witch,” Gachagua said.
Gachagua noted that he had sent his condolences to Raila’s family, highlighting his key achievements and things he admired about him.
He lauded the late former Prime Minister for building the ODM Party and growing it over the decades. He reiterated plans of making his DCP similar to the Orange party.
“When Raila died, I sent my message of condolence and told his family I was sorry and that he was a good leader. I highlighted two things about him that I admired. One, I want to make my DCP party as strong as his ODM party, and even make it bigger and more powerful. Two, I said I liked the fact that he always went for the most qualified people to hold top positions in his party,” Gachagua said.
