NAIROBI, Kenya — Party of National Unity (PNU) leader Peter Munya has launched a scathing attack on former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, describing him as a bully and accusing him of exhibiting dictatorial tendencies that could undermine efforts to unite the Opposition ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV’s JKLive, Munya said Gachagua’s public remarks and treatment of fellow opposition leaders were creating unnecessary divisions and urged him to adopt a more respectful leadership style.
“Gachagua is a bully. You saw when he talked about the Governor of Murang’a, calling him kiherehere, and the Governor was attacked by goons when he went to Ol Kalou. We think he needs to act more responsibly when dealing with leaders and all human beings. Use your language in a more courteous manner. You’ll go further than you have gone,” Munya said.
‘I Would Not Support Him for President’
Munya said he would be unable to back Gachagua should the former deputy president seek the presidency, arguing that his leadership style mirrors the authoritarian tendencies the Opposition says it wants to replace.
“I’m hoping Gachagua is not a presidential candidate because I would not support that kind of a person to run the country. Those dictatorial tendencies are the same ones we are saying we don’t want in the current government,” he said.
The former Cabinet Secretary stressed that his criticism was based on Gachagua’s conduct rather than any personal differences between them.
“I have never had any issues with him; I have never quarrelled with him. I was one of the best friends of his late brother. I went to visit his brother in hospital in the UK. Immediately he was elected, he went to Meru and publicly said Munya is a msaliti. He needs to walk slowly,” Munya stated.
Acknowledges Gachagua’s Role
Despite the criticism, Munya credited Gachagua with helping expose what he described as the shortcomings of President William Ruto’s administration.
“We don’t have anything personal against Gachagua; we respect him. He has done a lot of work in terms of exposing the failures of the current government. We respect him and want to work with him, but the tendency to want to be a dictator and issuing threats to other people, he needs to stop it,” he said.
Munya maintained that opposition leaders should focus on building consensus rather than engaging in confrontational politics if they hope to present a united front in the next election.
“Twelve months is a long time in politics. We can unite as the opposition, and in fact, that process has already begun. To create an environment where we can work together, we must reduce the bravado, name-calling and condescending language in our politics,” he added.
Row Over Opposition Parties
The latest exchange follows a growing disagreement over the future structure of the Opposition coalition.
Earlier this week, Munya, Democratic Party (DP) leader Justin Muturi and Devolution Empowerment Party (DEP) leader Lenny Kivuti rejected calls for their parties to dissolve and join Gachagua’s Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), insisting that coalition partners can work together while retaining their individual identities.
Gachagua later clarified that he had never called for the dissolution of allied parties but urged leaders to strengthen grassroots mobilisation and market their respective political outfits.
During a meeting with delegates from Mathioya and Kangema constituencies, the former deputy president also criticised PNU’s performance in the recent Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election.
“You, Munya, and PNU did not campaign in Ol Kalou. You got 28 votes. If you don’t campaign, how do you expect to get votes?” Gachagua said.
He maintained that each opposition party should build its own support base while cooperating on the broader objective of unseating President Ruto in the 2027 General Election.
The exchange highlights growing tensions within the opposition alliance as political leaders position themselves ahead of next year’s polls, even as they continue to express commitment to working together against the Kenya Kwanza administration.
