Kenya Kwanza leaders, led by President William Ruto’s aide Farouk Kibet, have sharply criticised former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua for calling the Kamba and the Coast communities cousins to the Mt Kenya region during his recent tour.

“Yule mkabila sasa ameanzisha jina ingine anajiita cousin. Lakini mimi namrudisha tu, namwambia yeye bado ni mkabila, yeye anazidi na kuweka acidi katika taifa la Kenya,” Farouk said.

Translation: “That tribalist has now started calling others cousins. But I’m telling him he’s still a tribalist, adding acid to the Kenyan nation.”

Speaking at RCEA Korosiot Church in Turbo on Sunday, June 8, 2025, Farouk, alongside MPs Innocent Mugabe and John Bwire, urged Kenyans to ignore Gachagua’s comments.

Comment sparks tribalism debate

Farouk described the cousins label as divisive, warning that such language risks pulling the country down a dangerous tribal path.

“Sisi ni macousin. Ukweli ama uongo? Hi cousins! Cousins wapendane wasipendane? Cousins watafute serikali pamoja wasitafute?” Gachagua said during their tour.

Translation: “We are cousins. True or false? Hi cousins! Should cousins love or hate each other? Should cousins seek power together or not?”

He intended the term to highlight a familial bond between the people from those regions and Mt Kenya communities, but it has been met with backlash. Farouk questioned Gachagua’s leadership credentials, pointing out his failure to support President Ruto while in office.

MP John Bwire echoed these sentiments, rejecting the cousins label.

“We, the people of Taita Taveta, are not cousins to Gachagua. We are all brothers and sisters as Kenyans,” he said.

MP Innocent Mugabe also urged unity, praising Ruto’s economic reforms, like subsidised fertiliser and the Social Health Authority (SHA), which have improved food security and healthcare access.

Farouk defended the government’s progress, highlighting rural electrification and agricultural support, and called for fair maize prices to boost farmers. The leaders’ message was clear: Kenya belongs to all, and unity must prevail over divisive politics.