Embakasi North MP James Gakuya has strongly defended Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua against claims linking him to the recent Gen Z-led protests, dismissing the allegations as politically motivated and lacking a factual basis.
Speaking during an interview on a local TV station on July 1, 2025, Gakuya took aim at National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah and Suna East MP Junet Mohammed, accusing them of advancing narratives to gain political favour.
He, however, dared the duo to hand over evidence if they had linked Gachagua to funding the protests.
“Kimani Ichung’wah and Junet Mohammed are using political gimmicks and singing Ruto’s praises to please the master,” Gakuya said. “If they had evidence that Gachagua planned the Gen Z protests, why didn’t they hand it over to the police for action?”
Gakuya questioned the credibility of the accusations, pointing to the decentralised nature of the protests. “If you evaluate their statements, they are trying to create a narrative without giving facts. Who was the donor? Where was the money coming from?” he posed.
He added, “We saw people during the June 25 Gen Z memorial coming in from Thika Road, Kiambu, and other counties outside Nairobi. How could one man organise all of that?”
Call for regulated demos
Gakuya underscored the need to uphold the Constitution by managing demonstrations through proper regulation, as this would evade destruction of property, loss of lives, theft, and other mishandling that was witnessed on June 25, 2025.
“The authors of our Constitution were clear—government must put regulations. There are designated areas where demos should take place so that business isn’t disrupted,” he said.
He warned that some leaders are using unrest to score political points. “They want to sing to the tune of their master to be seen as loyal. That’s where some MPs are losing focus,” he said. “If they genuinely believed Gachagua was behind it, why didn’t they present evidence to the police beforehand?”
Leaders accused of misdirection
Gakuya criticised what he described as political blackmail. “Blaming and blackmailing someone without proof is wrong. It shows how low some legislators are willing to stoop. How do you serve Kenyans if you’re only singing to please someone instead of focusing on development?”
He concluded by accusing the legislators of shifting attention from deeper issues. “They’re trying to divert investigations and mislead Kenyans. But Kenyans are not fools,” he said, calling for transparency, truth, and responsibility from all leaders.
