Impeached Kenya’s Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has been warned against reckless utterances that link Kenyan leadership to terrorism connections.

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi who doubles as the cabinet secretary for foreign and diaspora affairs has sent a strong warning to Gachagua, telling him to stop spreading malice and propaganda against Kenya for selfish political gains.

Mudavadi’s caution coincided with a disclaimer by the US State Department on Wednesday that questioned the authenticity of former deputy president’s terror tirades against the government he was part of barely a year ago. In a report published by the Standard newspaper on Thursday, the state department demanded Gachagua verify source of his information, which the US described as unfounded and unreliable.

At home, Gachagua’s allies in the fledgling opposition expressed reservations about his tirade, in particular allegations of Al Shabaab terror group having a foothold in the Kenna government. Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya also warned that Gachagua had gone overboard in his terrorism allegations and there is need for a relook at his statement.

Mudavadi took Gachagua on during a meeting in Kakamega yesterday with local religious leaders. He told the interfaith leaders from Malava constituency who met him in Malava to discuss good governance and leadership ahead of the coming by election slated for November 27, 2025.

He wondered why the former deputy president was hell-bent on tainting the image of Kenya abroad as a nation, yet he used to sit on the National Security Council but never disclosed the information.

“Kenya has had a (recent) history with terrorism from the 1998 United States Embassy attack, the Garrisa University, Westgate Mall, Dusit Mall, Boni Forest and Lamu attacks where Al Shabaab terror operatives planted improvised electronic devices (IEDs) that exploded, killing our soldiers and residents in the same breath, with hundreds of (our) soldiers still holed up in Somalia fighting these terror outfits,” he warned.

Mudavadi said it was wrong for a leader of Gachagua’s calibre to start spreading lies about his country as a means of settling political scores with President William Ruto after he was tossed out of office. He warned that Gachagua’s mission to subject the country leadership to unnecessary foreign scrutiny would backfire on him when truth is established.

Kenya, he added, has had to incur huge costs of financing war against terrorism, in addition to loss of property and innocent lives.

Given the economic, political and social cost of terrorism, there is no way Nairobi can negotiate with terror gangs. He observed that Gachagua was losing relevancy and had resolved to spreading malicious falsehoods in the hope eliciting sympathy and political backing.

He called on the religious leaders to be wary of such selfish Kenyans who had also given their aspirants a leeway ticket to contest for the Malava parliamentary by-election.

He said, “As religious leaders cut across all the different faith, we should preach peace to the congregants and educate them on the need to elect and support real, sober leaders who can work with the government of the day to bring development to the people of Malava and not those who are out of anger to settle scores with the some individuals in government, they will not out-rightly serve the constituents.”

Mudavadi assured the religious leaders that, as government UDA will not impose a candidate on Malava voters, but they ae pushing for the election of someone who will support broad-based government.

“You being religious leaders, you are mandated by God to give the right direction and you should condemn in the strongest terms possible the false warpath Gachagua has taken against the government of Kenya as it is meant to disrupt the peace and tranquility Kenyans have been enjoying so far,” he said.

The delegation was led by Malava Interfaith Council Chairman Bishop Elly Taliti, Secretary Rev Father Vincent Sanga and Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) women representative Asha Juma. 

He called on the Malava electorates to make a conscious decision and bring on board a leader who will be part of the government representation in the constituency.

• A Tell Media report / By Isaiah Wakhungu Andanje