Rigathi Takes Jibe At Kabogo Over Kiambu Standoff With Wamatangi

Fridah Wangechi | 1 year ago
Kenya Kwanza presidential running mate Rigathi Gachagua and Tujibebe Wakenya party leader William Kabogo. COURTESY

Kenya Kwanza Alliance presidential running mate Rigathi Gachagua has addressed the recent stand off witnessed in Kiambu County between Senator Kimani Wamatangi and former governor William Kabogo, accusing Kabogo of creating a state of anarchy between Tujibebe Wakenya and the United Democratic Alliance party.

He was speaking in an interview with the Nation where he explained that he accorded the leaders equal opportunity to speak to the alliance's supporters, but Kabogo chose to use his own sound system to poke holes into Wamatangi's address,causing the dramatic blow out between the two leaders.

He also stated that he being in control of the meeting had warned Kabogo of the disrupting others while they spoke but his efforts were futile, as the former county boss continued interrupting the senator till he was enraged.

"Kabogo was probably uncomfortable with my being firm. He came to the meeting with his sound system and was interrupting others. I told him that was not allowed. It was my meeting and there had to be order," Rigathi stated.

"He probably felt I was a bit harsh. If he wants to have his meeting in his style, he is free to do so. We do not want anarchy in any of our meetings," he advised.

The prospective DP also addressed the claims that UDA was excluding politicians from constituent political parties withing the formation as alleged by Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria, stating that the claims were false and that UDA was an autonomous party, and left the county politics out of the national vision.

"Kuria and I are friends. He visits my home frequently. We share the same ideals and he has never expressed any misgivings about my leadership. I don’t want to dwell on Kabogo as that is a Kiambu matter. I am a national leader.

"The discomfort expressed by Kabogo has everything to do with Kiambu where he, Kuria and Senator Kimani Wamatangi want to be governor. I cannot help any of them because I am not a Kiambu voter and I am a father-figure to the three,"  he noted.

He asked Kabogo to refrain politicising his woes in the Kiambu gubernatorial race which he blamed on UDA's alleged sidelining, because despite his public support for the party, Rigathi and other party members had no ability to influence the electorate to vote for him as already he was on the race with Kuria and Wamatangi, all allied to the DP-Ruto led party.

“I can only advise my friend Kabogo to take his battles where they belong. I have no favourite candidate in Kiambu. I have no influence there as far as the governor's seat is concerned. I am busy with the presidential campaigns,” said Gachagua.

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