Gachagua Accuses Government of Deception, Politicising the Church

Former Deputy President and Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has launched a scathing attack on the current administration, accusing it of deceiving Kenyans through religious theatrics and presiding over what he termed as widespread economic and moral collapse.

In a strongly worded statement, Gachagua said the country was misled into electing a leader who, he claimed, carefully cultivated a religious image to win public trust. According to Gachagua, the leader presented himself as deeply Christian—carrying a Bible, speaking in tongues, singing vernacular hymns, and displaying familiarity with local cultures and communities across the country.

“We believed he was saved. We trusted him with our votes,” Gachagua said, adding that the church played a central role in legitimising the candidacy.

However, he alleged that once in power, the leader abandoned the religious façade and revealed what he described as his “true character.” Gachagua accused the government of gross human rights violations, including the abduction and killing of young people, arbitrary arrests, and the use of excessive force by security agencies. He further claimed that survivors of alleged crackdowns were maimed and charged with terrorism-related offences.

The former deputy president also blamed the administration for economic hardship, accusing it of looting public resources, selling strategic national assets at throwaway prices, and crippling essential sectors such as education and healthcare. He claimed that delayed payments and increased statutory deductions had reduced workers to “beggars in their own country.”

Gachagua further criticised the government’s foreign engagements, alleging that the deployment of police officers to Haiti was ill-conceived and had emboldened criminal elements at home.

Turning his focus to recent church appearances by the Head of State, Gachagua accused the government of returning to religious spaces with “renewed trickery,” allegedly ferrying paid supporters to church services and dramatically increasing donations to influence congregations. He claimed that supporters were allegedly paid to cheer and chant political slogans during worship services, in collusion with what he described as “greedy clerics.”

He praised several mainstream churches, including the Catholic Church, PCEA, ACK, and some Pentecostal and Evangelical congregations, for resisting what he termed as the politicisation of the pulpit.

Quoting an African proverb, Gachagua said, “When the death of a monkey is imminent, all trees are slippery,” suggesting that the administration was acting out of desperation.

“The man has destroyed our beautiful Kenya and is now promising us an imaginary Singapore,” Gachagua concluded.

The government has previously dismissed similar accusations from opposition leaders as politically motivated, maintaining that its reforms are necessary and in the long-term interest of the country.