Uhuru Jokes About Visiting Gachagua's Home to Recover KSh 1.5 Million

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua used a family memorial service in Nairobi to signal a political realignment, with Gachagua offering a public apology over the region's past electoral choices.

The leaders spoke on Wednesday at the PCEA Nairobi West Church in Lang’ata during the requiem mass for Beatrice Wambui Muturi, Uhuru’s first cousin. The solemn gathering drew several political figures, including Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Democratic Action Party-Kenya (DAP-K) leader Eugene Wamalwa.

Gachagua used the platform to address the Mt Kenya electorate, admitting that leaders and residents made a grave mistake by ignoring Uhuru's counsel ahead of the 2022 General Election. He recounted how Uhuru had explicitly warned them against supporting President William Ruto's presidential bid.

"Baba Ngina called us and told us not to elect this man, but we failed to listen," Gachagua told the congregation. "We elected him, and that is why we are here. I was not even spared; I was chased away and went to Wamunyoro, but God is good, I did not die."

To illustrate the consequences of disregarding experienced leadership, Gachagua invoked a parable in his native Gikuyu language. He described how Uhuru had warned them about a leopard that would eventually turn on them after preying on smaller sheep.

"Uhuru has warned us about a leopard which would later eat the sheep, but I, Gachagua, objected," he said. He added that the leopard eventually jumped on him, removed one eye, and sent him limping back to Wamunyoro.

The former Deputy President urged the community to heed regional leaders moving forward and rallied support for his proposed one-term campaign against President Ruto in 2027. He described himself as a peaceful politician and credited the late Beatrice Muturi with mentoring him in business and entrepreneurship, noting that the property he owns across the country stems from her guidance and that she drove a Mercedes-Benz.

Amid the reflections on past political miscalculations, Uhuru injected humor into the service by recalling a debt owed by Gachagua. The former President joked that he planned to visit Gachagua's Wamunyoro residence in Nyeri alongside his friend Maina to recover KSh 1.5 million.

According to Uhuru, the funds had been provided by the late Beatrice Wambui Muturi to support his 2017 re-election campaign, but Gachagua spent the money on personal needs instead.

"I have heard Rigathi Gachagua saying that he was given money to support me but he used it. I will come to Wamunyoro with my friend Maina to collect our property," Uhuru said to laughter from mourners.

Shifting to a serious political message, Uhuru challenged opposition leaders to overcome their differences and unite behind a single presidential candidate for the 2027 General Election. Addressing Kalonzo and Gachagua directly, the retired President stated that ordinary Kenyans had already made up their minds and were merely waiting for political leaders to present a cohesive alternative.

"My brother Stephen Kalonzo, Riggy G, I have listened to the people. I walk around nikitafuta 'uji', and you know I talk the truth. People have spoken and they are waiting for you to unite," Uhuru said. He cautioned that competing ambitions must not derail the opposition, noting that the presidency can only be held by one person at a time.

Reiterating that retirement has not dulled his political awareness, Uhuru maintained that lasting peace in the country is inextricably linked to justice, warning against treating the two as separate priorities. Kabete MP Isaac Kiragu also addressed the mourners, paying tribute to the late Muturi as a steadfast family pillar and appealing for political tolerance and peace across the country regardless of political differences.