Salasya calls out Gachagua for his ‘cousins’ slogan
By Cynthia Lodite, February 3, 2026Mumias East Member of Parliament Peter Salasya has lashed out at former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over his political slogans dubbed ‘Cousins’.
Taking to his official X account on Tuesday, February 2026, Salasya accused Gachagua of pushing divisive politics through his cousin’s slogan.
While calling him out, he argued that Gachagua’s obsession with slogans like ‘cousins’ has brought a part of fear-driven narrative among Kenyans.
“Your obsession with slogans like ‘cousins’ and endless ethnic chest-thumping is outdated. Kenya does not need Mt. Kenya politics exported to the rest of the country. We are living well, and we reject your divisive, fear-driven narrative,” Salasya wrote.
He went on criticising Gachagua’s style of politics while maintaining that Kenyans are in a modern world where tribe is steadily losing meaning.
“H.E. Rigathi Gachagua, EGH, I openly reject and oppose your style of politics. We are in a modern world where tribe is steadily losing meaning. What Kenyans want is a tribeless nation united by ideas, principles, justice, and development not endless ethnic mobilisation,” Salasya said.
“We refuse to be divided for political survival. Kenya must move forward, not sideways into tribal darkness,” Salasya added.
Salasya remarks to Gachagua
His remarks come just days after Salasya called out Gachagua over past remarks against the Somali community.
Taking to his official X account on Saturday, January 31, 2026, Salasaya accused Gachagua of trying to salvage his image by pulling tribal cards.
“Trying to salvage your image on your useless tribal card politics when you attacked children from Somali land not to school in Mangu Alliance Starehe etc. wont help you, if you could be doing good politics, hii stress hungepata boss,” Salasya said.
He went on to describe Gachagua as a hypocrite, explaining that during his two-year service as Deputy President, at no point did he show up at the State Department of Devolution to express challenges faced by the assailed communities.
“You were a deputy president, H.E. Rigathi Gachagua, EGH, for two years, heading the state department of devolution, reporting to my committee on regional development by then, where these special programmes in hardship areas are done, but not a single day you came to our committee and address this challenges of assailed communities,” he added.
“Remember, one constituency in Northern Kenya is equivalent to 3 times the entire central province. You are not asaint to keep on attacking the Somali community without understanding the real challenges in the region,” he said.