Democracy for the Citizen Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua became the centre of a political storm after failing to attend a highly anticipated rally in Kakamega. Gachagua’s allies claimed a plot was hatched by Ruto’s government to block him from Western Kenya. This happened as his party accused the Kenya Kwanza government under President William Ruto of blocking his travel from Nairobi. The former deputy president had been expected in Kisa East for a thanksgiving ceremony on Friday, December 5, in honour of DCP’s Aduda Okwiri, who clinched the ward’s MCA seat in the November 27 by-election. It was billed as a show of the party’s growing influence in the Western region, drawing hundreds of supporters who waited for hours under the assumption that their party leader would join them.
Why did Gachagua skip DCP’s Kakamega event? But as the programme dragged deep into the afternoon with no sign of Gachagua, tension grew in the crowd, falling on DCP deputy party leader and former Kakamega senator Cleophas Malala to break the news, Gachagua would not be coming. “You’ve seen we are late; we were supposed to start at exactly eleven. But we waited and waited until it reached four, and we decided to come and explain why he didn’t show up,” Malala stated. Malala told the gathering that the former deputy president’s travel plans had been disrupted from the moment he woke up, alleging that officials had issued orders barring him from flying out of the capital. According to Malala, Gachagua had booked a helicopter for his early-morning flight to Kakamega, but the company withdrew the aircraft after receiving warnings that they risked losing government business.
“They went and threatened the owner of the chopper company, saying the government would deny them business. The chopper then refused to take Gachagua,” the former lawmaker stated He claimed a second helicopter, the party leader booked, was declared “faulty,” forcing them to seek a refund that was promised for the following Tuesday. Faced with collapsed air charter options, Gachagua attempted to switch to a fixed-wing commercial aircraft headed to Kisumu. But Malala said the flight operator later claimed the Kisumu route was too congested due to multiple high-profile funerals in the region. Did Gachagua get to address Kakamega locals? With time running out, the DCP team explored an alternative: landing at Matulo airstrip in Webuye, where the party had dispatched vehicles to receive Gachagua. But upon arrival, Malala said they were informed that the airstrip had been closed. By the time the rally began, Malala told supporters, it had become clear that Gachagua would not make it to Western Kenya.
He further alleged that police officers had been deployed from various sub-counties in Vihiga and concentrated in Khwisero, supposedly in anticipation of Gachagua’s arrival. Malala said the former DP was looking forward to the event. Photo: DCP. Source: Facebook Moments later, Kiambu senator Karungo wa Thang’wa placed a phone call to Gachagua and put him on the loudspeaker so he could address supporters directly. On the call, Gachagua expressed regret for missing the event and briefly referenced the travel frustrations that had kept him away. He kept his remarks short but pointed, telling the crowd that all the flights he had paid for were cancelled, though he had been refunded. “My people, greetings. Are you well, cousins? I wanted to come there, but I had travel problems. All the flights I had paid for were cancelled and the money was refunded, but it’s alright,” Gachagua stated.
By Didacus Malowa
