NAIROBI, Kenya – A storm is brewing in Rift Valley, and no, it’s not about maize prices or the rains. It’s about words.
Words spoken by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, and how they’re being received in Uasin Gishu County, where the scars of the 2007-2008 post-election violence still run deep—even if they’re no longer on display.
Two area MPs—David Kiplagat (Soy) and Phyllis Bartoo (Moiben)—are calling out Gachagua for what they say is an attempt to stoke tribal tensions by drawing comparisons between a recent incident at a Nairobi church and one of Kenya’s darkest moments.
“We’ve Healed. Let Us Be.”
During a church fundraiser in Kesses, the message was loud and clear: the past is painful, and it should stay in the past.
“We have all agreed to bury the memories of 2007-2008,” said Kiplagat. “We don’t want to be reminded.”
Bartoo doubled down, emphasizing the fragile peace that now defines the region. “Everyone who was in Uasin Gishu in 2007/2008 does not even want to talk about Kiambaa or whatever happened. Leave us alone,” she said. “In Uasin Gishu, we live all tribes.”
It’s a sentiment shared by many in a region once at the epicenter of ethnic violence. These leaders now see such statements as dangerous—especially when they come from someone with a national platform.
What Gachagua Said—and Why It’s Sparking Outrage
The backlash stems from Gachagua’s remarks during a KTN News interview, where he likened a recent attack at PCEA Kasarani to the Kiambaa church tragedy of 2008.
Back then, more than 30 people were burned alive inside a church during the post-election chaos. It’s a memory etched in national trauma.
“What happened yesterday… the message it has sent in the mountain is that the same people who had the impunity to burn Kiambaa church with people inside…,” Gachagua said, referring to the April 6 attack.
“The moment you send goons into a church to kill Gachagua and to kill Christians, you automatically bring back the memories of Kiambaa.”
He didn’t hold back. But that’s exactly the problem, according to leaders from his own party’s stronghold.
The core of the MPs’ argument is about responsibility. To them, Gachagua’s rhetoric isn’t just tone-deaf. It’s a strategic flashback designed to polarize voters along ethnic lines.
“This kind of talk risks setting us back years,” one source close to the county leadership told us. “Uasin Gishu has worked hard to foster inter-community peace. We can’t afford to unravel that over political posturing.”
