NAIROBI, Kenya — Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has claimed President William Ruto was unsettled following a public confrontation with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua during a memorial service in Nyandarua County.
Speaking in Masinga on Friday, Kalonzo said the Head of State had struggled to respond to remarks made by Gachagua at a memorial for the late Ol Kalau MP David Kiaraho, where political tensions played out publicly.
“I would like to invite my brother, who is the spokesperson of his community. He looked Ruto in the eye and told him off; I don’t think Ruto has slept since they met in Nyandarua,” Kalonzo said.
Gachagua, who addressed the gathering, criticised the President over their political fallout and referenced his impeachment, while disputing claims that he represents narrow ethnic interests.
He also alleged that he had urged the crowd to allow the President to speak respectfully before tensions escalated.
“After I asked the crowd to be respectful and allow him to address them, he became proud and started saying that he did not need anyone’s permission to address Kenyans,” Gachagua said.
The former Deputy President further claimed he would intensify political pressure on the President in the Mount Kenya region, arguing that public support for the Head of State had waned.
He alleged that some attendees at presidential functions were mobilised through payments, claiming individuals were compensated to attend and cheer — assertions that could not be independently verified.
Gachagua also said the crowd at the Nyandarua event cheered him when he addressed them, which he described as a sign of shifting political loyalties in the region.
He added that the President and leaders present were embarrassed by the reception.
The confrontation has drawn criticism from several leaders who described the exchange as disrespectful to the Presidency and inappropriate for a memorial setting.
Reports indicate that Gachagua and Nyandarua Senator John Methu were later barred from attending subsequent requiem and burial ceremonies linked to the late MP.
The public fallout underscores deepening political divisions within the ruling coalition and signals intensifying competition for influence in the Mount Kenya region, a critical voting bloc.
