Kenyan Gen Zs in US to Gachagua: Position yourself as a national leader

Valentine Wanjiru Githae, a representative of the youth-led 625 Movement/SCREENGRAB

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has come under sharp criticism from Kenyan Gen Zs living in the United States, who decried that he had failed to position himself as a national leader.

Speaking during a town hall meeting in Baltimore organised as part of Gachagua’s U.S. tour, Valentine Wanjiru Githae, a representative of the youth-led 625 Movement, directly confronted the former DP over what she termed as divisive rhetoric that undermines national unity.

“We are Gen Zs, and we are here to tell you the truth. And if we do not tell you the truth, we are doomed to fail,” Wanjiru said, urging Gachagua to reframe his political approach if he hopes to challenge President William Ruto effectively in 2027.

Wanjiru, who hails from Mathira—Gachagua’s rural home—criticised the decision to begin the meeting by addressing attendees in Kikuyu.

While acknowledging her own Kikuyu heritage, she warned against perpetuating ethnic-based leadership narratives.

“If we position ourselves as Kikuyu, another tribe will also do that, and before we know it, we are back to the same problem,” she cautioned.

Wanjiru also took issue with remarks Gachagua made during a rally in Boston, where he described the Kikuyu as the "drivers of the Kenyan economy" due to their hard work.

She argued that such statements reinforce tribal entitlement and ignore the broader contributions of other Kenyan communities.

“We cannot say that people from other tribes are not hardworking. We have that sense of entitlement as Kikuyus, and it has to stop. If I do not say that, I will not be telling Mheshimiwa the truth,” she asserted.

Gachagua’s US tour is part of a wider campaign to court the Kenyan diaspora and build grassroots momentum for a potential 2027 presidential bid—has included stops in Seattle, Boston, and Baltimore.

The Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader has also launched party offices in both Washington State and Massachusetts, signaling a concerted effort to expand his base beyond Kenya’s borders.

Responding to Wanjiru, Gachagua accused Kenya Kwanza of coining the tribal narrative.

“My daughter, don’t fall for that narrative. That narrative is meant to intimidate the Mt Kenya people,” Gachagua stated.