Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has claimed that Deputy president Kithure Kindiki sent a close associate to request that he ease criticism against him and “go slow,” in what appears to be an attempt to cool rising political tensions between the two leaders.

Speaking during ata a church service in Muranga, Gachagua said he has forgiven Kindiki for what he termed as political differences. However, he stated that there are specific issues he cannot forgive, which he linked to actions he claims were taken during Kindiki’s tenure as Interior Cabinet Secretary.

According to Gachagua, he personally engaged Kindiki at the time and urged him against certain decisions on killing the Gen Z during the protests. but claimed his concerns were not acted upon. He alleged that some of these decisions had lasting consequences, which he believes affected national programmes.

He further accused Kindiki of undermining government efforts to combat illicit alcohol, stating that what he described as the “war against illicit brew” was sabotaged. Gachagua claimed that the initiative was aimed at protecting communities and saving lives, but was weakened by internal interference.

He said such actions contributed to broader social challenges, particularly affecting vulnerable groups and young people.

“I have forgiven him, but there are things I cannot forget,” he implied, emphasizing that accountability should accompany political reconciliation.

The former Deputy President also suggested that efforts to address illicit alcohol consumption were not fully supported from within the system, which, in his view, limited their effectiveness.

The remarks come amid continued political differences between leaders who previously served in the same administration but have since taken divergent positions on governance and policy direction.

Neither Kindiki nor his office had publicly responded to the allegations at the time of publication.

All this is happening at a time that we are having ongoing political debate in the country, reflecting deepening divisions among senior leaders over past policy decisions and their long-term impact on governance and public welfare.