The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has issued a sharp warning to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, urging him to cancel his planned visit to Bondo, Siaya County the hometown of the late opposition leader Raila Odinga.
The warning comes in the wake of Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga’s controversial remarks, which ODM leaders have condemned as divisive, insensitive, and disrespectful, especially during the nation’s mourning period.
Speaking in Kisumu on Wednesday, ODM Deputy Chairperson and County Assembly Whip Seth Kanga said the party would not welcome Gachagua to the Nyanza region, citing what he described as “hostile and unfriendly sentiments” toward ODM and its leadership.
“We have heard that Gachagua and his team plan to visit the home of our late party leader, Raila Odinga. We are warning him please, do not set foot in Bondo,” Kanga cautioned.
The controversy erupted after a video surfaced online showing Governor Kahiga suggesting that Raila’s death had shifted Kenya’s political dynamics in favor of the Nyanza region due to the growing cooperation between President William Ruto and Odinga.
In the viral footage, recorded during a funeral in Nyeri, Kahiga implied that the opposition leader’s passing was “God’s plan” and had “levelled the political playing field.”
The remarks sparked nationwide condemnation, with ODM Chairperson and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga labeling them “primitive, insensitive, and deeply insulting.”
In a statement issued Tuesday evening, Wanga said Kahiga’s comments amounted to “mocking the memory of a statesman who dedicated his life to democracy and unity,” and demanded his immediate resignation as Vice Chairperson of the Council of Governors (CoG).
“This country deserves leaders who embody empathy and respect, not those who promote division. Kahiga must go,” Wanga stated.
Council of Governors Chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi also condemned the remarks, distancing the CoG from Kahiga’s views and describing them as “personal, untimely, and unacceptable — especially at a time of national mourning.”
Amid mounting pressure, Governor Kahiga later issued a public apology and stepped down from his leadership position within the Council of Governors.
