March 26, 2026 NAIROBI – Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua took his political battle directly to the Luo heartland on Wednesday evening, March 25, 2026, in a highly anticipated and at times chaotic live interview on Ramogi TV and Ramogi FM.
The two-hour-plus media engagement, which Gachagua himself requested, was billed as an opportunity to address the Luo nation but quickly turned into a fiery defense of his record, a scathing attack on President William Ruto, and a strategic outreach to broaden his Democratic Congress Party (DCP) base beyond Mount Kenya.
Broadcast live and drawing thousands of concurrent viewers, the interview was moderated by journalists including Trevor Ombija and Victor Otieno Juma.
It featured tough questions from hosts and callers, viewer comments labeling Gachagua a “tribalist,” and moments where the former deputy president visibly lost his cool before recovering with sharp rebuttals and detailed policy pitches.
“If Speaking Your Language Is Tribalism, Then Ramogi Should Not Exist”The most explosive exchange came early when a viewer comment accused Gachagua of tribalism.
Ombija pressed him on the long-standing tag. Gachagua fired back without hesitation:
“If tribalism is speaking one’s language, then Ramogi station should never have existed. Why do you call me in to a tribal show?”
He went further, defending his 2022 campaign support for Ruto: “In the last election, we had a candidate called Mwaure [from his own community]. We never gave him any vote. We gave 4 million votes to William Ruto and 1.3 million votes to Raila [Odinga]. I had the leeway to say I cannot support William Ruto because he comes from another community. Then how do you call me a tribalist after supporting a colleague from another community?”
Gachagua repeatedly professed deep admiration for the Luo community, naming mentors from his University of Nairobi days the late Dr. Nyangira, Dr. Kate Aroa (or Ket), and Professor Wande as well as public servants Samuel Eric Orretta, Peter Aburu, and Hezekiah Yugi Kalamong.
He praised Luo professionals in medicine, architecture, and engineering, recalling how Architect Tom designed his house 30 years ago and how Luo doctors treated him at Nairobi Hospital.
“I have very great respect for the Luo professionals because they are really professional,” he said, adding that he was welcomed “like a king” during visits to Bondo, Homa Bay, Siaya, and Kisumu while serving as deputy president.
He attributed past sharp statements against the Luo community to competitive “choir” politics during the 2022 campaigns, when he was singing from Ruto’s songbook against Raila Odinga.
“I was a member of the choir… I have no regret whatsoever for my utterances. I made a true description,” he insisted.
Scathing Attack on Ruto: Betrayal, Business Schemes, and One-Man RuleGachagua spared no words for his former boss. He accused President Ruto of betraying not just Mount Kenya but the entire nation. Promises of money in pockets, an end to extrajudicial killings and demolitions, and reduced debt were all broken, he claimed.
Instead, Kenya now faces a KSh 14 trillion debt, abductions, daily demolitions, and the sale of strategic assets including Safaricom, the Kenya Pipeline, and JKIA.On the affordable housing programme once a flagship Ruto promise Gachagua said he was initially deceived but now sees it as a personal enrichment scheme.
“The president bought two factories… Baburi Cement… All these factories he bought are the ones supplying construction materials,” he alleged, claiming taxes from Kenyans were being funneled back to Ruto-linked companies.
He described Ruto’s governance as a “one-man show” that micromanages everything and destroys institutions. “William Ruto betrayed the Kenyan nation… He is bad for the country,” Gachagua declared, vowing he would never work with him again.
Advice to ODM and the Luo Nation: Don’t Be “Swallowed”Turning to the Luo community and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), Gachagua warned against any alliance with the ruling UDA.
He claimed Ruto had confided in him plans to “destroy ODM” and that the party had been “sold” with leadership changes occurring even before Raila Odinga’s body arrived in Kenya (following the former Prime Minister’s death).“Don’t be complacent just because you have two cabinet positions,” he urged.
“The people of Nyanza cannot be bought by positions.” He advised ODM to demand public deals, the release of KSh 12 billion in political parties’ funds, dedicated budget allocations for Nyanza projects, and the zoning of strongholds to avoid being absorbed like Mount Kenya was.
Gachagua listed specific grievances affecting the Luo nation: the sale of sugar factories (Miwani, Sony, Muhoroni, Chemelil) without public participation, leading to KSh 10.2 billion in debts, employee suicides, and auctions; the removal of KSh 20 billion from the Koru Dam-Kata project; and the sale of the fisheries training school. He called for fish processing plants, modern boats, and nets to turn Lake Victoria’s resources into real wealth.
Gachagua positioned his DCP as an alternative home for “courageous” Luo leaders who want to fight in parliament without being swallowed by UDA.
He said the party already has aspirants in Nairobi and Nyanza and is open to coalitions with like-minded opposition outfits such as Wiper, DAP-K, and non-Ruto-aligned ODM factions.
He painted a broad vision for governance if given another chance: anti-corruption drive, restoration of independent institutions (Parliament, Judiciary, criminal justice system), ending police intimidation of businesses and politicians, prudent use of public funds (including slashing wasteful State House spending), and balanced regional development.
“The president should visit Nyanza as many times as practically possible… but also visit the Rift Valley, Mountain, and Coast. He cannot abandon the people who voted for him,” he said.
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