Former long-serving Molo MP Njenga Mungai has strongly criticized former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua for his ‘controversial remarks’ made in Naivasha, Nakuru County, on Sunday, urging him to exercise greater responsibility in his public statements, particularly in settings meant to foster unity and spiritual reflection.
In his address at Naivasha PCEA Church, Mr. Gachagua alleged that President William Ruto’s administration is complicit in the proliferation of illicit brews devastating the youth in Mt Kenya as it is aware of its manufacturing, distribution, and sale and is doing nothing to contain the menace.
“The Interior Security PS was directed by the President to reopen those alcohol factories, with instructions to sell the alcohol exclusively in Mount Kenya—not in Rift Valley or elsewhere. Since I was forced out of office, the President has allowed illicit alcohol, which is killing our people, to flood this region, and just yesterday, three people died in Bahati, Nakuru County,” he claimed.
Mr. Mungai termed the former Deputy President’s remarks as baseless and reckless, accusing him of propagating divisive narratives and dragging the region in his personal wars with the President, at a time when the country requires unity and constructive leadership.
He stated that such accusations only serve to alienate Mt Kenya from the rest of the nation, potentially creating ethnic and political fault lines. He said the region should rally behind President Ruto to realize development in the next three years.
“These claims by the former Deputy President are not only unfounded but dangerously divisive,” Mungai said in a fiery statement. “Leaders should focus on solutions and fostering unity, not peddling accusations that could spark unnecessary tensions.”
Mr. Gachagua’s comments, which are perceived to have directly targeted President Ruto, suggested that the government was failing to address the issue of illicit brews in Mt Kenya region for political expediency; having fewer voters from the region, leaving many young people trapped in addiction or dead.
However, Mr. Mungai dismissed these allegations as an attempt to deflect from the real challenges facing the region, including unemployment, poverty, and lack of access to quality education and health services, which he failed to address when serving as Deputy President.
The long-serving Molo MP further warned that the former Deputy President’s rhetoric could fuel political animosity, plunging the country into unnecessary civil strife as experienced in 2007. He called on leaders across the political divide to exercise restraint and engage in constructive dialogue to address the challenges affecting the nation.
“Kenya is at a critical stage, and we cannot afford to gamble with inflammatory remarks that divide instead of uniting us,” he said. “Let us focus on tackling the root causes of the issues affecting our people rather than playing the blame game.”
The former legislator urged the government to prioritize addressing the underlying socioeconomic issues that drive the demand for illicit brews, including creating employment opportunities for the youth and strengthening enforcement against illegal alcohol.
He added that the debate over illicit brews has long been a contentious issue in Mt Kenya, a region grappling with the devastating effects of alcohol abuse, but successive governments had failed to address it due to what he termed as wrong approaches.
“While leaders have often pointed fingers at each other, we call for a more comprehensive approach to tackle the crisis. Local and national government officers like Chiefs, Ward Admins, and Village Elders must answer to the proliferation of killer drinks in their respective areas,” he advised.
Mr. Mungai’s remarks have added to the growing calls for leaders to approach sensitive issues with sobriety and focus on uniting the country as it gears up for the high-stakes 2027 elections.
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo on Monday condemned the assertions by Mr. Gachagua that the government was deliberately targeting the Mt Kenya region with illicit alcohol, terming them as “reckless, selfish, and politically motivated inflammatory statements.”
“The State Department of Internal Security and National Administration wishes to condemn the reckless statements made by the impeached former Deputy President Mr. Rigathi Gachagua in a church service he attended yesterday, accusing the government of deliberately targeting citizens of Kenya in the Mt Kenya region with illicit and counterfeit alcohol distribution,” he said.
He added that it was in bad faith and disingenuous of Mr. Gachagua to turn around, after serving this country at the highest office, and lay such ludicrous claims on such a sensitive matter that deeply impacts families and lives.
Leaders allied to embattled Mr. Gachagua have criticized Interior PS Raymond Omollo’s response. In a joint statement, the leaders, mostly legislators, accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of irresponsibility for allowing the resurgence of illicit alcohol in the region, arguing that Omollo’s response failed to address the key concerns raised by the former Deputy President.
“For instance, we expected him to explain whether the government’s efforts under Rigathi Gachagua’s leadership to combat the production, distribution, sale, and consumption of illicit brews had been successful to the extent that these harmful substances had largely disappeared from the Mt Kenya region and beyond,” they said.
The statement was signed by several well-known Gachagua allies, including Kiambu Senator Karungo wa Thang’wa, Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba, Embakasi North MP James Gakuya, Nyandarua Senator John Methu, and Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu.
