Kindiki Claims Gachagua Ignored Advice That Could Have Saved His Job

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has alleged that his predecessor, Rigathi Gachagua, disregarded advice that could have helped him keep his position within the Kenya Kwanza administration.

Kindiki claimed that while serving as Interior Cabinet Secretary, he had personally counseled Gachagua to maintain a healthy working relationship with President William Ruto, but said his advice went unheeded time and again. He suggested that Gachagua’s conduct in office ultimately played a role in the chain of events that led to his impeachment and removal.

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Speaking partly in Kiswahili, Kindiki said he had once told Gachagua directly that he did not wish to end up in his predicament. He said he had approached Gachagua on multiple occasions during his time as Interior CS, urging him to stay in the President’s good graces and remain loyal, insisting that doing so would secure his political future — advice he claims Gachagua repeatedly rejected.

According to Kindiki, rather than heeding this counsel, Gachagua instead dismissed him, questioning his political and leadership experience.

The Deputy President made these remarks while addressing thousands of elders in Embu during the Mt Kenya East Elders Solemn Assembly. He further claimed that Gachagua, now outside government, was making political noise as a result of failing to take his advice while still in office.

Kindiki also appeared to reference reports that Gachagua has been engaging various opposition figures as he works to build a political coalition ahead of the 2027 General Election. He said he had heard that Gachagua was moving around trying to help certain individuals — mentioning Kalonzo Musyoka among others — position themselves for the presidency.

He challenged Gachagua to wait for the next election rather than attempt to pressure or provoke him and the Kenya Kwanza government, telling him to stay with his political allies and wait until the next election cycle, when Kindiki said he and President Ruto would ensure he is sent home politically.

The remarks mark the latest chapter in an ongoing public back-and-forth between Kindiki and Gachagua, who have taken increasingly opposing political stances since Gachagua’s removal from office through impeachment in October 2024.

Kindiki has since positioned himself as one of President Ruto’s closest allies within the administration, while Gachagua has been touring the country promoting the Democracy for Citizens Party and rallying support ahead of the 2027 elections. The two leaders have also clashed over the political direction of the Mt Kenya region, with Gachagua working to consolidate support there while Kindiki has repeatedly called for unity and warned against divisive politics.

Kindiki’s latest comments are likely to further heat up the political contest for influence in the Mt Kenya region as parties and leaders jostle for position ahead of the 2027 presidential race.

The alleged private conversations between the two leaders could not be independently verified, and Gachagua had not publicly responded to Kindiki’s remarks by the time of publication.