Challenging the status quo: Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba tells it all
Gathoni Wamuchomba has positioned herself as a vocal critic of President Ruto’s administration, focusing on what she describes as unchecked excesses. Her stance has isolated her within the ruling UDA party.
When I met Gathoni Wamuchomba for a sit-down with The Eastleigh Voice, the Githunguri MP known for her fiery rhetoric in Parliament, her demeanour was unexpectedly laidback, warm and composed - a sharp contrast to the politician the public is familiar with.
Seated with a relaxed yet alert posture, Wamuchomba held nothing back as she opened up about her recent 20-day suspension from Parliament and why she was excluded from the joint United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Parliamentary Group meeting chaired by President William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
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“42 bodies were retrieved from the Kware dumpsite a year ago. Only five out of 42 were confirmed by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to have been positively identified. How can a CS heading such a serious docket, funded by taxpayers, tell MPs in Parliament that he does not know who killed those women?” posed Wamuchomba.
Her criticism cut deeper on the day of her suspension. “You don’t have the capacity to find out who killed the 42 women, but you have the capacity to go and fish out Gen Z from their mothers’ bedrooms in the name of terrorists?”
Leaning in, her passion was palpable. "I am not perturbed by my suspension, which I consider irrational. When I return to Parliament, I will continue putting government officials on their toes because they are not ready to be accountable to Kenyans who elected them to those positions.”
The vocal critic of Ruto’s administration said her stance has isolated her within the UDA party.
“They never invite me to their meetings. At the recent joint Parliamentary Group meeting with their ODM counterparts, I was excluded. I’m not concerned. In any case, I wouldn’t have attended even if invited, as I refuse to waste time on meetings that don’t benefit the people who elected me,” she said.
She disclosed that after publicly challenging cabinet appointments, labelling some of the nominees as 'unfit', she was isolated after defying party leadership, particularly on key government policies, including the 2024 Finance Bill.
"I have been isolated and politically sidelined for speaking out against certain government policies," she said. "I was removed from WhatsApp groups after criticising some government decisions. I also questioned several of the president’s Cabinet appointments, saying he goofed the day he named his first Cabinet, as some did not deserve to be CSs. This did not sit well with some people."
She challenged Ruto's accusations that MPs enable corruption, accusing him of hypocrisy. According to the MP, Ruto’s anti-corruption drive is motivated more by pressure from donors and international organisations like the IMF and World Bank than by genuine reform.
“What a fallacy for the president to accuse MPs of corruption. Yet internationally, Ruto is rated as one of the most corrupt leaders in the world. It’s not me who said that, neither did I conduct the research, nor is it fictitious - it's factual, based on how he brought the law on privatisation; how that law was hurriedly passed and how he schemed to take over our public asset,” she said.
Adding, “He was actually trying to appease others with that statement. Ruto is currently under pressure from development partners, foreign governments, and funders like the IMF and World Bank. He has been given conditions to receive any support, that he must tackle corruption and address human rights issues.”
Wamuchomba also questioned the sincerity of the government’s recent compensation plans for those killed in protests, pointing to suspicious timing and legal ambiguities.
“In recent months, we have seen the president making statements about people killed during protests against the government. Why is he doing this now? Has he only just realised that victims need to be compensated?”
On Parliament’s independence, Wamuchomba was unequivocal: “Let Parliament operate independently, with the Speaker in charge. It is crucial to clearly distinguish between the two arms of government, as blurring these lines only undermines institutional respect. The majority leader in the National Assembly should not serve as the master of ceremonies at State presidential functions."
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua was not spared either. Wamuchomba accused the leader of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) of promoting tribal politics alongside Ruto.
“What matters most today is having leaders who deliver services to the electorate. We cannot be a country caught in constant politics, where corruption is an everyday reality. A nation cannot develop under such conditions,” said Wamuchomba.
As we closed the interview, I asked about her aspirations. With a smile and determination, she said, ‘I am a woman on a mission. My time will come. I’m halfway through the struggle. Prepare for a future woman president.’”
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