Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu has come out strongly to defend former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over his recent remarks labelling Mount Kenya Members of Parliament (MPs) as fools, saying that the former DP was taken out of context.

According to the Murang’a senator Gachagua is the most misquoted politician in Kenya, and his remarks were misinterpreted.

He urged people not to ignore the basis from which the former DP was speaking.

“Whether you like Rigathi Gachagua or not, one thing you must agree with me on is that he is the most misquoted politician. People completely ignored the context he was speaking from,” Nyutu said while speaking during a morning show on a local TV station on Wednesday, May 4.

According to Nyutu, what prompted Gachagua to issue the remarks he made on Sunday was the fact that hired goons had been paid to disrupt a church function in Lari that Gachagua was scheduled to attend.

He said Gachagua was merely questioning how foolish the MPs had become to the point of being used by the government to pay youths Ksh 500 to cause mayhem during a church service, yet in the President’s region, young people are being given opportunities in the Defence Forces, in the police, and even sent to countries like Australia, Germany, and Canada.

“That was what prompted the former DP to label the MPs as foolish. Gachagua gave clear reasons for why he thought Mt Kenya MPs were foolish, but nobody is focusing on that,” Nyutu said.

“Rigathi Gachagua was asking: how foolish can you be that you allow Ruto to give you money to go and pay young people Ksh 500 to block others from accessing a church—money that ends up being used to buy alcohol—while in Ruto’s region, young people are being given opportunities in the Defence Forces?” Nyutu added.

Gachagua’s remarks

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua had, during a speech at AIPCA Gatumbi Church in Lari Constituency, Kiambu County, on June 1, 2025, referred to Mt Kenya MPs as fools. He criticised them for their loyalty to President William Ruto, accusing them of betraying the region’s interests by blindly supporting Ruto’s directives, including the impeachment motion in October 2024.

Gachagua claimed that Ruto was favouring his own community with opportunities in the military, police, and government institutions, while Mt Kenya youth were being used to incite violence.

 He warned that the MPs would face consequences at the ballot box in 2027, calling them an “embarrassment” and predicting that they would be remembered as the “most foolish leaders ever elected” in the region’s history.