Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Tuesday, March 5, 2025, hit out at former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over his remarks in 2023 that he had secured the State House from access by Odinga.

Speaking during his consultative tour of Wajir County, Odinga mocked Gachagua over his disparaging remarks where he stated that his sole role was to protect President William Ruto from Odinga.

“Yule jamaa mwingine alikuwa akisema ati ameweka mitego. Si alikuwa ameweka mitego kila mahali na hakuna pahali pa kupita,” Odinga remarked. (Did he [Gachagua] lay snares allover the place and made sure there was no access to Ruto)

“Akasema hakuna mambo ya handshake na nusu mkate. Mnataka tuende kwa jamaa mwenye mitego?” (Would you want us to go back to the one who laid the snares and refused dialogue, handshake and inclusive government?)

Raila posed amidst a thunderous repudiation from the audience.

Traps for Odinga

In 2023, Gachagua revealed that his role was to protect Ruto from access by Odinga, whom he accused of wreaking political formations for his own gain.

“Huyu mzee wa kitendawili alinikuta kwa mazishi huko Nyandarua akaniuliza kwa nini sitaki mazungumzo. Nikaamka nikamuambia siogopi mazungumzo; ile kitu naogopa ni wewe,” Gachagua said in 2023. (I recently met Raila at a funeral where he challenged me on why I was opposed to his calls for talks. I told him point-blank that it was him I feared and not dialogue)

“Alikuwa anajaribu kuja hapa kwa rais wakati nilikuwa nimeenda Italy. Wakajaribu kupitia huku na huko nikaitwa nikarudi haraka. Mimi kazi yangu ni kuchunga rais.” (While I was away on a tour to Italy, I was informed that they were attempting to make inroads. I cut short my trip and rushed back as my job is to protect the president.)

“Adding: Hiyo ikulu nimeweka mitego kila corner na kila pahali; na niko na watu wa kunipigia simu. Akionekana tu karibu, naambiwa.” (I have laid snares in every corner of the State House, and I have informers who would call me the moment he is spotted anywhere nearby.)

Pact with Ruto

The remarks come in the wake of consultations by Odinga after meeting with Ruto in Mombasa on February 24, 2025, where a cooperation deal is speculated to have been hatched.

During the meeting, Odinga was accompanied by his longtime lawyer Paul Mwangi and Junet Mohamed who were both present when he brokered a deal with former President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2018.

Gachagua maintains he is willing to consider working with every leader in the country in his quest to unseat Ruto in 2027.

“I am open to working with anybody who means well for the country. I want to tell supporters of Raila from Nyanza not to fight the people from Mt Kenya because we are not their enemies,” he said on February 24, 2025.