Kirinyaga ni bedroom yangu! Gachagua fires back at critics

Former DP and Democracy for Citizens Party leader Rigathi Gachagua waves at the crowd during a meeting with rice farmers in Mwea, Kirinyaga county, October 14, 2025. /RIGATHI GCAHGUA/X

Former Deputy President and Democracy for Citizens Party leader Rigathi Gachagua has shrugged off criticism from a section of Kirinyaga residents who faulted his recent attacks on Governor Anne Waiguru, insisting he remains unfazed.

Speaking on Tuesday in Mwea, the outspoken critic of President William Ruto maintained that any Mt Kenya leader closely associating with the head of state was a “traitor” to the region’s people.

His recent comments against Waiguru, whom he accused of being “used politically by President Ruto”, triggered outrage, particularly among female residents, who described his remarks as disrespectful and demeaning to women in leadership.

On Monday, placard-waving residents took to the streets of Kutus town to denounce Gachagua’s comments, praising Waiguru as a trailblazer who has redefined women’s leadership in Kenya.

They cited her historic record as the only woman elected governor twice and her two-term tenure as chairperson of the Council of Governors — positions they said she earned through competence and national recognition.

The residents further accused Gachagua of lacking the moral authority to lecture other leaders over their political alliances, with some vowing to ensure he never sets foot in Kirinyaga County.

But on Tuesday, Gachagua hit back, dismissing his critics and declaring that Kirinyaga was “his bedroom” — a place he could visit freely.

“Katika siasa ya Kenya, Mwea na Kirinyaga ni bedroom ya nani?” he asked the cheering crowd.

"Hii ni bedroom ya nani?" he asked again, and the crowd responded, “Ni bedroom ya Riggy G.”

“Mtu anaweza sema mtu asiende kwa bedroom yake? (Can anyone prevent someone from going to their bedroom?)” he added.

To those who had dared him to visit Kirinyaga, Gachagua quipped: “Wale walisema ati mimi sitafika Kirinyaga, hapa ni wapi?”

The former DP said those daring enough to challenge him to a political supremacy contest should have shown up at the same event, which he convened to hear grievances from rice farmers.

He accused the government of neglecting the same people who voted overwhelmingly for it by not addressing farmers’ welfare, saying leadership failure begins when leaders abandon the electorate.

“Like any other farmers, rice farmers in Mwea deserve to have their voices heard and their needs prioritised. Their hard work sustains our nation, and it is the duty of their leaders to stand with them,” he said.

Gachagua urged residents to remember those who had stood by them and to make the “right choice” in 2027.

“I want to assure you all: we will continue fighting for you and your interests, no matter the obstacles,” he said.

Waiguru has been positioning herself as one of the most influential female figures in Mt Kenya politics amid shifting alliances ahead of the 2027 elections.

By late Tuesday, the governor had not reacted publicly to Gachagua’s remarks, though reactions from her supporters suggested a simmering political battlefront with the former DP.