Kapsaret Member of Parliament Oscar Sudi has strongly criticized Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua over controversial remarks made during his recent visit to the United States. Gachagua’s directive, urging Kenyans from the Mt Kenya region not to send foreign remittances back to Kenya until a new government takes over in 2027, has sparked widespread backlash, with Sudi terming the statement “reckless and dangerous.”
Sudi accused the former Deputy President of actively sowing division and undermining national unity at a time when Kenya is already grappling with significant political tensions.
“You want to tell people from the mountain to keep their money in their pockets and wait for you until 2027? I think you have a mental issue. How do you even say something like that?” Sudi posed emphatically, questioning Gachagua’s judgment.
The MP further warned that such utterances could severely harm the country’s economy and derail crucial progress made in mobilizing diaspora investments, which are a significant source of national revenue.
Meanwhile, Gachagua, during his US tour, claimed that the perceived rift between President William Ruto and the Mt Kenya region had played a major role in destabilizing the country’s economy. He argued that the Kenya Kwanza government could not effectively function if citizens from the Mt Kenya diaspora continued to withhold their remittances. According to the former Deputy President, the move to withhold remittances was a deliberate form of economic resistance, insisting that Mt Kenya’s contribution to the national economy had been consistently undervalued. He maintained that the region possessed the financial muscle abroad to significantly influence national stability.
Gachagua, who was impeached as Deputy President in October 2024, further maintained that efforts by the Kenya Kwanza leadership to politically sideline him had failed. He accused them of attempting to divide the Mt Kenya region through strategic appointments and targeted smear campaigns.
“They tried to dismantle my support base, but the mountain has stood firm,” he asserted. He continued, “I want to tell you the government has failed economically. We have withheld our money back at home, and I urge you to do the same that you are doing here,” he added, punctuating his address with these highly controversial remarks.
However, the former Mathira MP’s statements have triggered sharp political backlash back home, with critics widely accusing him of exploiting the Mt Kenya region’s economic power to push his personal political agenda rather than addressing genuine national concerns.
