Why I skipped June 25 anniversary protests - Gachagua
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has defended his decision to skip the June 25 anti-government protests, saying his presence would have been misinterpreted as political interference and used to falsely link him to the youth-led demonstrations.
In an interview with NTV on Friday, Gachagua said he made a conscious choice not to join the protests, noting that during the 2024 demonstrations, Gen Z made it clear that they did not want the involvement of political figures.
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"I didn't want to join the protests; during the 2024 protests, Gen Z asked us, the elders, to keep off the protests. That is how it should be because they don't want to be owned by anybody... because they are not under the direction of anybody and not financed by anybody," he said.
The former DP stated that had he joined the demonstrators, it would have bolstered claims that he was the one behind the ongoing unrest, a narrative he dismissed.
"If I had turned up in the streets on Wednesday, it would have given credence to the ridiculous accusations that I financed the Gen Zs. I'm not the leader, I'm not their financier; I just support them morally because I support their cause," he added.
While Gachagua was absent, other opposition leaders, including Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and DAP-K’s Eugene Wamalwa, participated in the nationwide demonstrations.
Following the protests, Gachagua strongly criticised the government for using force against peaceful demonstrators.
In a statement issued on Thursday, he condemned the actions of the police and accused the administration of violently suppressing legitimate dissent.
"In the strongest terms possible, I condemn the use of excessive force and live bullets by the Police on peaceful and unarmed Gen-Z protesters witnessed yesterday across the country.
"Intimidating the peaceful and young demonstrators who were only remembering their slain colleagues in the struggle only complicates the matter for you and your rogue regime, Mr Ruto," Gachagua said.
He attributed the unrest to unmet promises by the government, directly addressing President William Ruto over the frustrations expressed by the youth.
"The cause of the Gen-Z protests is well-known by the Government and every Kenyan; Mr. Ruto, you know you promised our young people jobs and economic liberation. You know what you have delivered to them and their parents," Gachagua said.
The former DP also accused the state of deliberately attempting to undermine the protests by planting people to cause chaos and discredit the movement.
"Last week, during the protests over the brutal murder of Albert Ojwang, Ruto and the Nairobi Governor organised goons to beat up the peaceful demonstrators in Nairobi, but yesterday you changed tactics, where goons were instructed to loot and destroy property," he claimed.
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