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Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua left the country earlier this month for what he hoped would be a remarkable tour of the U.S. in what was also his first international trip after his impeachment.
His trip was marked by the usual hype with his allies flooding social media with photos of his engagements as he moved in to rally Kenyans in the diaspora behind his course.
With the tour still in progress, Kenyans both in the U.S. and in the country have weighed in on aspects of the trip that have failed to impress them.
A number of Kenyans some of whom attended his events took him to task, criticizing him with netizens also adding their voices to the conversation.
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Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua
Whether he will learn from the criticism remains to be seen in the remaining days of his tour and beyond.
Packaging himself as a national leader
Being a notable figure who hopes to consolidate support for a potential 2027 bid, many expected Gachagua to embrace diversity and champion national unity.
The trip has however been full of missed opportunities for the former DP whose love for the mountain and his people appeared to blind him from the reality of the fact that Kenya is as diverse as the diaspora community he was addressing.
They noted that the DCP party leader failed to package himself as a national leader and instead wore the hat of a regional kingpin whose only concern and interest was the Mount Kenya region.
Embracing diversity
Gachagua gave some of his speeches in his native Kikuyu language, a fact which did not impress some who accused him of tribalism in an audience that was multicultural.
Case in point is in Baltimore, Maryland where the DCP party leader was criticized for beginning to address the meeting in Kikuyu.
Focusing on individuals rather than issues
Kenyans who engaged the DCP leader were keen on discussing substantive issues and steering conversations away from the usual political rhetoric.
Gachagua however used almost every available opportunity to bash President William Ruto, attack former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and settle political scores.
From dismissing Raila as irrelevant in Kenya’s political discourse to accusing Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika’s husband of intimidation, Gachagua missed clear opportunities to rally the diaspora behind his course.
While addressing a gathering in Boston, Massachusetts, Gachagua hailed the Kikuyu community as the drivers of Kenya’s economy, praising them for their hard work.
This speech did not impress many who pointed out that the DCP leader effectively diminished the immense contributions of other communities in the country, reinforcing the shareholder narrative that has been part of his political identity.
Valentine Wanjiru Githae, who introduced herself as a representative of the youth-led 625 Movement called out Gachagua for advancing divisive rhetoric during his tour.
A screengrab image of Valentine Wanjiru Githae
If we position ourselves as Kikuyu, another tribe will also do that, and before we know it, we are back to the same problem. 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.
The visit may have caused excitement in his support base, but his abrasive politics, blinding love for Mount Kenya and its people may have cost him an opportunity to present himself as a national leader, promote national unity and build momentum to challenge President William Ruto.
Editor's Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Pulse as its publisher