Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua says Kenyans in the US gave him and his wife the welcome of a lifetime. According to The Star, he called their hospitality the greatest affection he had ever received. His US tour lasted two months, from August 26 to October 20.
Gachagua, who leads the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), spoke on Sunday in a long interview with a vernacular television station. Supporters met him at the airport with flowers and songs, he said. He added that they treated him "like their king" and "like a young child".
Gachagua said he did not stay in hotels. Instead, the community asked families with big houses to move out for a while. That gave him and his wife, Pastor Dorcas Gachagua, room to live. Women brought food and nuts, he said, while others did his laundry and ironed his clothes.
Supporters also took him shopping. They bought him shoes and jeans and told him to pick anything without worrying about the cost, Gachagua said. The community also held prayer sessions, singing and Bible reading.
Gachagua put the cost of the trip at about KSh 150 million. Kenyans in the US covered his accommodation, air tickets, vehicles, food and other activities, he said. "My two-month trip cost Sh150 million and I did not spend even a shilling. That money came from our people," he said.
The visit also let him hear diaspora views on Kenya's politics and reflect on the future of the Mt Kenya region, he said. He spent part of his stay in solitude, prayer and fasting. In his words, his people are "not in a good situation".
Gachagua said the reflection strengthened his resolve to engage other Kenyan communities and build alliances before the 2027 general election. He started right after returning, with meetings at his Wamunyoro home in Nyeri county.