‘Aliniwekea mtego State House, ako wapi sasa?’ – Raila mocks Gachagua after impeachment

Opposition leader Raila Odinga has broken his silence regarding Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s boast about setting “traps” for him at State House. Speaking at a thanksgiving event for Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Deputy Party Leader Godfrey Osotsi in Vihiga County,Raila took the opportunity to mock Gachagua over comments he made last year about preventing Odinga from accessing President William Ruto.

Raila, who has long been critical of Gachagua’s political maneuvering, sarcastically questioned the effectiveness of the so-called traps, which Gachagua claimed were meant to keep Odinga at bay.

“Mtego ya aina gani? Hiyo mtego wa Gachagua ati aliwekea Baba mtego, eti hakuna mambo ya handshake, hakuna mambo ya nusu mkate. Ako wapi sasa Gachagua? Ako wapi?” Raila said, poking fun at the deputy president’s failed attempts to block his political influence.

The comments refer to an earlier statement made by Gachagua, who, in August 2024, revealed that he had removed the traps after realizing that President Ruto and Raila were engaging in talks.

“My boss and I had agreed we set up traps so that Raila does not join the government through the backdoor; I would check the traps every morning and evening,” Gachagua had shared during an interview.

He went on to admit that the traps were initially effective, noting that even when Ruto and Raila decided to meet, it happened outside Kenya in Uganda, watching President Museveni’s big-horned cattle. However, as the situation evolved and Ruto and Raila began engaging politically, Gachagua decided to step aside.

In 2023, Gachagua had boasted of setting up numerous traps around State House to prevent Raila from entering government. “Nimepanga hiyo Ikulu, nimeieweka mitego kila corner, kila corner. Na niko na watu wakionekana tu karibu napigiwa simu kwa sababu huwezi kubali mtu ameharibu serikali nne aingie ya tano,” he said, reiterating his commitment to keeping the opposition leader out of government.

Article By Suzy Nyongesa.