Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has finally broken his silence on why he skipped both the burial and memorial service of the late ODM leader and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga events that drew national attention and sparked widespread public speculation.
Speaking to journalists in Embu County during a media briefing with Mount Kenya reporters, Gachagua said his absence was not out of disrespect but a matter of personal security.
According to Gachagua, he received what he termed as a credible intelligence alert from security officers warning him of an alleged plot to harm him at the venues where Raila’s body was to be viewed, including Kasarani and Nyayo Stadium.
The former Deputy President said the officers cautioned him that a group of plainclothes police operatives intended to attack him and later blame the incident on members of the Luo community.
Gachagua said the motive behind the alleged plan was to provoke ethnic hostilities between the Kikuyu and Luo communities two groups whose political relations have historically experienced tensions but have in recent years shown signs of reconciliation.
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“If I were to attend Raila’s burial in Nyayo Stadium as planned, some police officers warned me not to go because there were plans for officers in plain clothes to attack me.
The plan was to beat me so that a narrative would emerge that I was attacked by Luo people, causing the Kikuyu community, where I am from, to hate the Luo people. That is why I changed my plans,” Gachagua said.
He emphasized that he had fully prepared to attend the ceremonies and pay his respects to the late Raila Odinga, whom he described as a national figure whose contributions cannot be erased from Kenya’s political history.
However, he insisted that risking potential violence at such a sensitive moment would have been irresponsible.
Gachagua further noted that his absence should not be misconstrued as political sabotage or personal animosity. To demonstrate his respect for Raila and his family, he announced that he intends to visit the Odinga home in Bondo immediately after the upcoming by-election.
He expressed hope that Raila’s passing would not be used to sow division and urged leaders across the political divide to guard against manipulation that threatens national unity.
According to Gachagua, Kenyans must remain vigilant against any attempts to revive ethnic tensions for political gain.
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