Gachagua's last surviving aunt passes on

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and his aunt Glady Gathoni Kahua/HANDOUT

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is mourning the passing of his only surviving maternal aunt, Glady Gathoni Kahua, who died on Saturday after a brief illness.

In an emotional statement on Facebook, Gachagua described the loss as one of the lowest moments in his life since the passing of his mother in 2019.

“Today, I am at my lowest since I lost my mother in 2019,” he wrote.

Gachagua recounted the final hours leading to his aunt's passing, saying he was alerted at 3am that she had fallen ill.

He instructed that she be taken to Jamii hospital in Karatina town and planned to visit her at 4pm.

“At 9am, I did a follow-up with the hospital, and she was stable,” he stated.

However, as he traveled to Karatina in the afternoon, he encountered a heavy traffic jam near Ruiru, which caused a 30-minute delay.

At 4.05pm., while still en route, he received a heartbreaking call from doctors informing him that his aunt had passed just five minutes before his arrival.

“I arrived at the hospital at 4.10pm only to be told I was five minutes late,” he said.

Gachagua remembered Gathoni not only as a close relative but as a maternal figure who stepped into his life after his mother’s death.

“She has been my mother, my mentor, my cheerleader, and a prayer warrior—so loving,” he wrote.

Affectionately known in the family as “tata wa matunda” (the fruits' aunt) for the yellow passion fruits she cultivated on her farm, Gachagua said she held a special place in his childhood and adulthood.

He fondly recalled morning walks to her home for hot porridge and boiled maize, conversations filled with laughter, and stories of her Mau Mau experiences, including the struggle she shared with his late mother during Kenya’s fight for independence.

“She called me the apple of her eye and her favorite son,” he said.

“I have no one to turn to in this grief and pain. I have lost a mentor and a counselor. I feel hollow, down, and abandoned.”

He extended his sympathies to her children, grandchildren, and the people of Inono village, who often joined him for visits and morning meals at her home.

Plans for the funeral are expected to be announced by the family in the coming days.