Gachagua should make his apology public – Kioni

The politician said the insults during the campaigns affected other people

In Summary
  • Gachagua said he regretted the unpalatable words that were directed at retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s mother and her family.

  • He also apologized to Uhuru saying he should be respected as a national leader.

Former Ndaragua MP Jeremiah Kioni during the handing over of the National Dialogue Committee report to President William Ruto at State House on March 8, 2024
Former Ndaragua MP Jeremiah Kioni during the handing over of the National Dialogue Committee report to President William Ruto at State House on March 8, 2024
Image: PCS

Jubilee secretary general Jeremiah Kioni has asked Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to make his apology for the 2022 campaign's insults public, and do so to many other people.

Gachagua had on Monday tendered an apology to former First Lady Mama Ngina Kenyatta saying she is the mother of the nations and that the insults hurled at her were unfortunate.

"In 2022, politics had deteriorated to a deplorable state. There was a regrettable lack of respect, with insults being hurled at Mama Ngina, and I'm very sorry for that. We humbly request her forgiveness," Gachagua said during an interview with Kameme TV and Kikuyu radio station.

Gachagua said he regretted the unpalatable words that were directed at retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s mother and her family.

He also apologized to Uhuru saying he should be respected as a national leader.

"He (Uhuru) is our son and we love him. I directed the regional leaders to desist from attacking the retired President. We still love him, if he wronged us, that is past and it’s not meaningful as all we need is peace and unity of our people," Gachagua said.

Kioni said that while Gachagua has done the first step to tender his apology to the former first lady Mama Ngina Kenyatta, he should do so at a public forum.

"Remember the insults were done in public," Kioni said on Tuesday night while appearing on a show at K24  TV.

"It is important that when this apology is directed, it should be directed to more people than the one mentioned and should be done in public where the insults happened."

The politician, who is perceived to be Uhuru’s ally, said the insults which happened during the campaigns were serious and they affected other people outside the region.

"It is important to acknowledge that the insults started for a long time from 2017 and continued for a long time and did not just affect the former First Lady but also the former President," Kioni said.

"There are insults that affected people beyond Mt Kenya; people who value dignity and ideals were hurt by the insults," he said.

At the same time, Kioni regretted that the abuses and other unpalatable remarks that characterised the 2022 presidential campaigns were the reason why Azimio lost in Mt Kenya.

"Instead of us focusing on the issues that we needed to campaign on, we were completely overwhelmed and shrouded by insults as a result of which we found ourselves as a community having lost out on many areas," Kioni said.

During the 2022 campaigns, Mama Ngina and the Kenyattas were at the centre of unpalatable remarks directed at them by a section of politicians.

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