Gachagua returns from a six-week US tour amid chaos at Kamukunji rally
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua acknowledges greetings from his supporters when he returned to Kenya on August after a US tour. Photo/Rigathi Gachagua via X
After a politically charged 43-day tour of the United States, Rigathi Gachagua landed at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) shortly after midday on Thursday, August 21.
His plane, carrying Gachagua, his wife Dorcas, and members of his delegation, descended with high expectations.
Supporters had gathered from as early as 6 a.m., flanked by top allies including Deputy Party Leader Cleophas Malala, Senators John Methu and Joe Nyutu, and Kirinyaga Woman Representative Njeri Maina.
However, the long-anticipated rally at Kamukunji Grounds never materialised. As Mr Gachagua’s convoy moved from JKIA toward the venue, it was confronted by chaos and hostility along Mombasa Road.
Near the Cabanas junction, rival youths arrived on motorbikes, pelting the convoy with stones and blockading the route with piles of rocks. The ensuing melee forced panic among supporters, and Mr Gachagua had to retreat into his vehicle as airport security intervened.
Journalists from Standard Group and Royal Media Services, who were covering the event, were not spared. Vehicles were damaged as stones struck the media entourage, exacerbating the volatile situation.
Police, already heavily deployed along the route, were seen using tear gas to disperse the hostile crowd.
Traffic was rerouted, forcing motorists to use the expressway, as the planned procession was effectively disrupted.
Gachagua’s absence from Kamukunji left the crowd and his supporters in suspense. Instead, party leaders including Malala, Methu, and Maina addressed the gathering, criticising the government's response.
Mr Malala accused security agencies of facilitating the disruption, alleging that attempts were made to arrest Mr Gachagua.
The turbulence marked a dramatic contrast to the peaceful and symbolic nature of his US mission, where he held diaspora town hall meetings across multiple states and opened party chapters abroad.
The tour ended prematurely, as Gachagua cut the trip short to prepare for impending by-elections back home, promising to resume the remaining engagements early next year.
For a figure emerging from political tumult—impeached as Kenya's Deputy President in October 2024—Gachagua’s return was intended to reclaim momentum.
Yet, the erupting violence underscored the fraught nature of his path back to the political foreground.
