Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi has launched a scathing attack on former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua after he sparked controversy by questioning the placement of Grade 10 learners in top national schools.

In a strongly worded statement on Saturday, January 10, 2025, the lawmaker stated that Gachagua’s recent remarks ought to be treated with contempt. He lamented the tendency of politicians to fuel divisions among groups of people and communities through their utterances.

Empty talk

“Every time Gachagua speaks, he speaks empty words with nothing meaningful. He is now claiming that schools from Mt. Kenya should exclusively be reserved for the people of the region,” he stated.

While expressing concern over the controversial remarks made by the DCP leader, Sudi added that it is time the former DP was closely monitored, as he proposed booking him for a medical facility for a checkup.

Desist

“He should stop dragging our children and the people of Mt. Kenya into his own mire. Let him not drag our children and the community into his own problems,” he added.

“It is time we showed our concern for the former DP. I propose that it is time he visits a good medical institution for examination. At the moment, we should be speaking of development, issues of progress, and better ideas to improve the country and not what he is advocating,” he added.

Sudi’s remarks come days after the DCP leader sough to clarify the assertions made about students from the region being given priority in top national schools within the Mount Kenya region

Gachagua offers clarification

Speaking in Nyeri during his engagement with Kenyans on Thursday, January 8, 2025, Gachagua clarified that he did not mean that only Mount Kenya students should join national schools located in the region. Rather, he meant that, just like other students outside the region are called to join schools within the region, students in the area with high marks should also be allowed to join top schools within their Mount Kenya region.

He explained that Mount Kenya region students should be given similar treatment to any other students outside the region, stating that in the recent selection, Mount Kenya students with good marks were called to join schools that were of a lower standard than their performance warranted, while students with similar stellar performance from other regions joined the top secondary national schools within the region.

He also criticised members of Parliament from the region, especially those aligned with the current regime and allies of President William Ruto, for maintaining silence when junior school students from the region who performed well in last year’s national examinations were all settling for schools not reflecting their marks.