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• A previous deputy president, Rigathi Gachagua, encountered a difficult situation while participating in a media interview in the Rift Valley.
• The intense argument intensified when Cheruto Rop referred to Gachagua’s choice to play a disputed audio clip and his comments regarding entry into the State House.
• Gachagua rejected the claim that he was retaliatory, stating he had no personal resentment and instead contended that there was broad dissatisfaction among Kenyans

Didacus Malowa, a reporter for .co.ke, has more than three years of expertise in reporting on politics and contemporary issues in Kenya.

The recent interview of former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua became a show as reporters continued to surround him.

One of the conflicts that drew Kenyans’ interest involved Cheruto Rop, a reporter working for Chamgei FM, a local language radio station owned by Royal Media.

This occurred following her direct inquiry to him about whether he felt resentful due to his political conflict with President William Ruto.

The discussion took place during a media event in the Rift Valley, where journalists questioned the former vice president about his political statements and accusations directed at high-ranking government figures.

The conflict started when the reporter directly questioned Gachagua whether he was vengeful following his bitter disagreement with Ruto.

“Mr. Rigathi, are you resentful?” she asked bluntly.

Gachagua, surprised by the line of questioning, replied swiftly, rejecting the claim that he harbored resentment toward his former employer.

The head of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) stated he felt no resentment and dismissed the inquiry with a laugh, maintaining that his critique of the present government was not driven by personal frustration.

She highlighted two contentious incidents she asserted prove his resentment, one including an audio clip and another remark made by the former vice president regarding entry to State House.

Cheruto questioned if his behavior constituted fairness, stating that if he presents himself as a different perspective, he must transcend strategies seen by opponents as aggressive.

“Are you upset with him because of two incidents. The first one is this audio which we apologize on behalf of these people because for us this is unprofessional. The second one, you said that the state house is opening up for people to come and take the basics, and they also come to take their share; how do two wrongs make a right? Because you are supposed to come out as a better option because you have sacrificed the president,” she asked.

The previous DP quickly interjected, rejecting the journalist’s right to assess if he felt resentment or not.

He stated that it’s not that he is dissatisfied, but rather a widespread sentiment among Kenyans, whom he argued are unhappy with the Kenya Kwanza government.

“Why are you deciding for me that I’m bitter? You have no right to make that decision. I haven’t stated that I’m bitter; you lack the ability, madam. You have no power to determine if I’m bitter or not. I’ve mentioned that Kenyans are very bitter people because they were tricked and misled,” he said.

What caused reporters to have a conflict with Gachagua?

The intense debate followed shortly after Gachagua played an audio clip during the same gathering. He asserted that the recording included comments made by Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, which he alleged were offensive towards him.

As per Gachagua, the recording showed that certain leaders affiliated with Ruto were openly criticizing him.

He claimed that the matter highlighted a wider trend of behavior among some politicians associated with the government.

The former DP broadened his critique, moving beyond Sudi to target Farouk Kibet, alleging that he had previously employed strong words against former president Uhuru Kenyatta.