I didn’t know you were a good man - Onyonka seeks Gachagua’s forgiveness for impeaching him

Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka has publicly apologised to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over his role in the impeachment process, saying he regrets the decision and would have acted differently had he known him better.

Speaking during the requiem Mass of his late mother Mama Teresa Nyaboke at Nyabururu Catholic Church, Onyonka said his actions were influenced by political circumstances at the time, but he now holds a different view.

“I am sorry for impeaching you. I didn’t know you were a good man. My mother told me not to forget to apologise to you. She said she did not know you were a good man, neither did I. Now I know, I am so sorry,” Onyonka said.

The senator added that, if given another opportunity, he would reconsider his earlier position.

“If given that time back I would… I would really tell them something different. I hope you forgive me for what I did,” he said.

Onyonka further claimed he did not benefit personally from the political process that led to Gachagua’s removal, insisting his decision was not motivated by financial inducement.

“I did not eat the money. They brought some to their house, but I refused,” he said.

The remarks come against the backdrop of shifting political alignments within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), where Onyonka is currently aligned with a faction led by Secretary General Edwin Sifuna that has been critical of the party’s cooperation agreement with the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

In his remarks, Onyonka also reflected on broader political dynamics, describing some of his colleagues as part of what he termed a legacy of seasoned political operators.

The event was attended by several political leaders including Edwin Sifuna, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, Suba South Constituency MP Caroli Omondi, ODM party leader Oburu Oginga, former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, and former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua, Siaya Governor James Orengo among others.

The gathering, which brought together leaders across different political divides, was held in honour of Onyonka's late mother Mama Teresa Nyaboke.