Drama as Rigathi Gachagua is heckled at a rally in Nyeri
A section of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party leaders from Mt Kenya received a hostile reception while campaigning in Nyeri on Tuesday, June 7, 2022.
The leaders led by Rigathi Gachagua, the running mate of UDA presidential candidate William Ruto, were heckled as they addressed a roadside rally in Nyeri.
The rowdy crowd shouted at the leaders forcing some of them to cut short their speeches.
Several videos of the incident have surfaced online eliciting mixed reactions on popular social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook. Some claimed the crowd had been hired to disrupt the Kenya Kwanza coalition rally in the region where Gachagua comes from.
The Kenya Kwanza rallies were, however, successful in other areas including Narumoru and Icuga in Kieni and Othaya constituencies.
The Mathira MP, who leads Ruto's campaign team in Mt Kenya alongside vocal legislators Ndindi Nyoro (Kiharu) and Alice Wahome (Kandara), is yet to publicly comment about the incident.
Gachagua named Ruto's running mate
Ruto unveiled the legislator as his running mate on May 15, after months of keeping Kenyans guessing.
The DP settled on Gachagua even after the Kenya Kwanza selection panel overwhelmingly voted for Tharaka Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki. The accomplished advocate reportedly garnered 24 votes from 30 leaders present.
The running mate selection process reportedly created a rift in the Kenya Kwanza Alliance as leaders allied to Kindiki felt cheated following Gachagua's nomination as Ruto's running mate.
Ruto defended his choice for Gachagua, describing the former District Officer (DO) as an excellent grassroots mobiliser and campaigner.
He aims to take advantage of Gachagua's experience in politics to defeat his main rival Raila Odinga of the Azimio coalition in the polls slated for August 9.
