Gachagua criticises Raila over 'cousin' narrative, leadership style

Rigathi Gachagua claimed that Raila Odinga never want to take responsibility but seeks to be in the Government of the day. [Photo, Standard]

Former Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua has taken a swipe at former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga saying he is only interested in leadership without taking any responsibility.

Gachagua accused Raila of misleading electorate who have overwhelmingly supported him for years, especially from Western Kenya, and upon losing, he finds his way into Government and leaves them out 'in the cold' having negotiated his deal.

He maintained a hardline stance that time for President William Ruto and Raila to go is coming, even as he urged Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to ensure there are additional polling stations for Kenyans living abroad to exercise their democratic right in the next election.

"Let me tell you, this cousin movement is the greatest thing to have ever happened in Kenya because our cousins have been misused by Raila for a long time. Every election cycle he has been mobilizing my cousins from Mulembe, Kamba, Kisii, Mijikenda and Taita nation, mobilizing all those cousins and cheating them that he is sending them to 'Canaan'," Gachagua said.

The former DP who was speaking on Monday in Southern California, USA where he addressed Kenyans living there, claimed that Raila never want to take responsibility but seeks to be in the Government of the day.

"...And because people love 'Canaan' my cousins fell for it for many years...he doesn't intend to be President. He has no such intention. He is not interested. He likes power but with no responsibility," he said.

Gachagua added: "He doesn't want to take responsibility so he creates problems. He is invited into government and starts eating. And that is why right now he is quiet because he is a very good observer of good manners. When you are on the table eating you don't talk. So these cousins now have found their way as a family.

Gachagua claimed that Raila has not reconciled with the fact that a section of his supporters have since ditched him and is not happy with the 'cousin' narrative that has taken shape.

"Now, all the cousins are talking the same language. So I saw Tinga (Raila) the other day crying about cousins. He was crying in a funeral instead of mourning the late Phoebe Asiyo, he was mourning the loss of cousins from his grip," he said.

"These cousins have seen the light and the other day when he brought problems, he was invited to the table by Ruto to eat together he forgot all the cousins and went alone. Yet, he wanted these cousins to wait for him to mislead them every election. So Tinga, let me tell you don't talk about cousins. Keep off family matters," Gachagua insisted.

Gachagua was responding to Raila, who trashed the 'cousin' narrative saying it is unacceptable in the current political climate.

Gachagua said Kenyans are speaking one voice, opposed to abductions and extrajudicial killings.

The former DP, who said he will respect the opposition's Presidential flagbearer once a decision is arrived at, said their Government will correct the wrongs that Ruto's administration has created.

For instance, he made reference to status of health care and education in the country, saying they are in a sorry state.

According to Gachagua, the country had National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) was a better system and much as it had its challenges, it was working and people received medical assistance in health facilities they visited.

"What we needed to do was improve on NHIF, all we needed was Sh800 million to reform the system and make it work. Instead, Ruto threw it out brought another system, called Social Health Authority at a cost of Sh104 billion to replace NHIF and it is not working and that money has been stolen," Gachagua claimed.

But Gachagua told the meeting that together with his opposition counterparts, they are ready to make systems work, saying Kenya has the right personnel to transform the country.

He said part of his reason for travel to the US was to reach out to Kenyans living there engage them and listen to them.

"A government that was elected on the platform of being democratic, of respecting the rule of law and constitutionalism, has turned against its own people and sadly, the young ones. Brutal as the colonial government was, but very brutal.