Governor’s callous remarks expose the ugly face of tribal politics as nation mourns fallen statesman
The nation is still reeling from the devastating loss of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, but Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga has chosen this moment of collective grief to dance on the grave of one of Kenya’s most revered leaders.
In what can only be described as a grotesque display of political insensitivity, Kahiga stood before mourners at a burial ceremony in Nyeri on Tuesday and declared that God had “come through” for the Mt Kenya region by taking Raila Odinga’s life.
The governor, speaking in Kikuyu with barely concealed glee, suggested that divine intervention had conveniently eliminated a political obstacle that had been directing national resources away from his backyard.
“You guys can see what had been planned, but God brought something up. Now it’s total confusion. We did not harbour hate for anyone, but God came through for us,” Kahiga told the crowd, his words dripping with the kind of tribal triumphalism that has poisoned Kenyan politics for generations.
But the governor was not done.
In a rambling, tasteless monologue that has since gone viral and drawn condemnation from every corner of the republic, Kahiga went on to claim that all government goodies had been flowing to Nyanza because of Raila’s relationship with President William Ruto.
He painted a picture of Mt Kenya as a region abandoned and betrayed, only to be rescued by the Almighty who apparently saw fit to end a man’s life to balance some cosmic political ledger.
“For you who do not travel, because I was in that region, all goodies were being directed there because of tomorrow’s plans, because it seemed like they did away with us, but God came and brought this thing,” he said, as if discussing a football match rather than the death of a human being who dedicated his entire life to the struggle for democracy in this country.
Then came the punchline that has left Kenyans speechless with disgust. Kahiga, warming to his theme, suggested that God had called Raila to heaven because there was too much disagreement among the angels. “He saw up there that people in heaven are disagreeing a lot and came for Baba so that he can go and smooth things up there,” the governor quipped, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was mocking a man whose body has not yet been laid to rest.
The backlash has been swift and merciless, and rightly so. From Mombasa to Turkana, from Kisumu to Garissa, leaders across the political spectrum have united in condemning Kahiga’s reprehensible remarks. Former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya called the comments “deeply unfortunate and unbecoming.” Public Service Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi branded them “reprehensible, insensitive, and totally uncalled for.” Former Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu did not mince words, describing Kahiga’s statement as “grossly despicable” and demanding an unreserved apology.
Even Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, not known for holding back, delivered a stinging rebuke that cut to the bone. “My brother Governor Kahiga, I know you are a beneficiary of death because when Governor Wahome Gakuru died, you became governor. That’s why you are celebrating the death of Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga,” Cherargei said, reminding Kenyans of the tragic circumstances that brought Kahiga to power in the first place.
But behind this scandal lies a more disturbing reality. Kahiga’s outburst cannot be separated from his well-documented political marriage to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. The Nyeri governor has been one of Gachagua’s most loyal foot soldiers, standing by him during his impeachment drama and consistently parroting his divisive rhetoric about Mt Kenya’s supposed marginalization.
Gachagua’s conspicuous absence from Raila’s funeral and his deafening silence on Kahiga’s remarks speak volumes. While other leaders have rushed to pay their respects and condemn the governor’s insensitivity, Gachagua has maintained a calculated distance, allowing his proxy to do the dirty work of stoking regional resentment while keeping his own hands clean.
This is the same playbook that has defined Gachagua’s political career: the constant invocation of tribal victimhood, the portrayal of every political development as a zero-sum game between regions, the shameless exploitation of ethnic anxieties for political gain. Kahiga’s remarks are not an aberration but a logical extension of the poison that Gachagua has been injecting into Mt Kenya politics.
The timing of this controversy, coming as it does with the 2027 elections on the horizon, suggests that Kahiga’s outburst may have been more calculated than it appears. By framing Raila’s death as divine intervention that has leveled the political playing field, Kahiga is attempting to reactivate the old tribal coalitions and present himself and his political godfather as the true defenders of Mt Kenya interests.
This is not the first time Kahiga has courted controversy with reckless statements. He has previously been forced to apologize for offensive remarks about the Maasai community and has clashed with national officials over various policies. But this latest episode represents a new low, even by his standards.
What makes Kahiga’s comments particularly galling is the context in which they were made. Raila Odinga was not just another politician. He was a liberation hero who was detained without trial, who was tear-gassed and brutalized for demanding democracy, who brought this country back from the brink of civil war in 2008, who graciously accepted defeat multiple times in the interest of national stability. He was a pan-Africanist who transcended tribal boundaries and inspired millions across the continent.
To reduce such a towering figure to a mere inconvenience whose removal should be celebrated is not just politically tone-deaf but morally bankrupt. It reveals the rot at the heart of a brand of politics that sees fellow Kenyans not as compatriots but as competitors in a vicious contest for state resources.
The ruling United Democratic Alliance has issued a tepid statement expressing disappointment, but words are cheap. If President Ruto is serious about his much-touted commitment to national unity, he must take concrete action against Kahiga. The governor’s remarks are not just offensive but dangerous, threatening to inflame ethnic tensions at a delicate moment in our national life.
Governors James Orengo, Anne Waiguru, and others have rightly distanced themselves from Kahiga’s comments, with Orengo calling them shameful and Waiguru labeling them an insult to a national hero. The Council of Governors must go further and formally censure Kahiga, sending a clear message that such behavior will not be tolerated from those holding public office.
Kenyans on social media have not held back, with hashtags demanding Kahiga’s arrest and even his impeachment trending across platforms. The anger is palpable and justified. In a country that has seen ethnic violence tear communities apart, where political rhetoric has real consequences, leaders like Kahiga are playing with fire.
What is particularly disturbing about the video of Kahiga’s speech is the reaction of sections of the crowd. The cheers and ululations that greeted his tasteless jokes reveal how deeply entrenched tribal thinking remains in some quarters. It shows how easily unscrupulous politicians can manipulate ethnic identities to serve their narrow ambitions.
Raila Odinga’s death should have been a moment for Kenya to come together, to reflect on our shared journey as a nation, to honor a man who gave everything for the democratic freedoms we now enjoy. Instead, Kahiga has turned it into yet another opportunity for tribal point-scoring, another chapter in the endless cycle of ethnic grievance and resentment that has held this country back for too long.
The ghost of Rigathi Gachagua looms large over this entire sordid affair. His political philosophy, if it can be dignified with such a term, has always been about dividing Kenyans along ethnic lines, about presenting governance as a tribal lottery rather than a national project. Kahiga is simply the latest disciple of this creed, willing to say out loud what others might only whisper in private.
As Kenya prepares to bid farewell to Raila Odinga, Kahiga’s remarks serve as a stark reminder of the work that still needs to be done to build a truly united nation. They expose the fragility of our national cohesion and the ease with which it can be shattered by ambitious politicians who see votes in division rather than unity.
Governor Kahiga must apologize, not with the half-hearted, qualified apologies that have become standard in Kenyan politics, but with genuine contrition. He must acknowledge the pain his words have caused to the Odinga family, to the people of Nyanza, and to all Kenyans who believe in basic human decency.
But an apology alone will not suffice. There must be consequences. The institutions of accountability in this country must show that there is a price to be paid for such reckless, divisive rhetoric. Otherwise, we are sending a message that anything goes, that our leaders can say whatever they want without fear of sanction.
As we mourn Raila Odinga, we are reminded of the values he stood for: inclusivity, justice, democracy, and national unity. Kahiga’s celebration of his death represents everything Raila fought against. It is an insult not just to one man’s memory but to the very idea of Kenya as a nation that belongs to all its people equally.
The question now is whether we will allow politicians like Kahiga and Gachagua to drag us back into the tribal politics of the past, or whether we will honor Raila’s legacy by building the united, prosperous Kenya he spent his life fighting for. The choice is ours to make.
