Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Wednesday, July 12, for the first time addressed claims by National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah that leadership does not require village indulgence.
Speaking in Mombasa during the opening of the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya International Scientific Conference, Gachagua remarked that he was bemused why someone would criticise him for being a villager.
Acknowledging his roots, he stated that after the conference, he would fly to Nairobi for a short period of time and then proceed to his village.
“You know, every person has somewhere they came from and everyone has a home,” he stated adding that in cities like Nairobi and Mombasa, people come to earn a livelihood.
“I do not know why anybody would have a problem with where we all come from.”
He added that Kenyans should be proud of their origin and identity and no one should make them feel embarrassed.
Additionally, he told leaders who are branding other politicians as villagers to stop the disrespect.
Ichung'wah had on June 6, remarked that it was impossible to build a kingdom with someone who still craved attention from his village.
The Deputy President remarked that he would not be cowed into speaking Swahili or English when he visits his village in Nyeri County adding that using vernacular was a way of showing respect to your origin.
On Tuesday, Ichung'wah had alluded that Gachagua's endearment to the Mt Kenya region was a way to blackmail President William Ruto.
"Neither President William Ruto nor the Government of Kenya or MPs will succumb to blackmail. No amount of sympathy-seeking photos, vernacular station campaigns, or social media blogging troops will hand over billions to satisfy anyone," he stated.
Ichung'wah's statement was made hours after a photo of DP Gachagua flying to Mombasa using the national carrier went viral.
