Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has dismissed President William Ruto’s recent public apology, terming it insincere.

The former DP argued that President Ruto’s apology failed to address the true anguish experienced by families of Gen Z protesters, who were abducted or killed during last year’s nationwide demonstrations.

“If the President genuinely seeks forgiveness,” Gachagua said, “he should start by personally reaching out to the parents of those young men and women who disappeared or were murdered.”

Speaking during a tour of Thika and Gatundu North on Saturday May 31, 2025, Gachagua also issued a stern warning to individuals allegedly being paid to disrupt his public gatherings.

He declared that anyone who attempts to interfere with his rallies would be “finished politically.”

Accompanied by several leaders aligned with his new political movement, Gachagua criticized the government’s current empowerment program led by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki.

Kiambu Senator Karungo Thang’wa described the initiative as a “political bribe” aimed at pacifying the Mt. Kenya region, questioning why the program was focused solely there.

At the same time, former Thika MP Patrick Wainaina called on opposition leaders to unite and rally behind a single presidential candidate to mount a formidable challenge against President William Ruto in the 2027 general election.

Wainaina also announced his intention to vie for the Thika Town parliamentary seat on a Democratic Congress Party (DCP) ticket in 2027.

He previously contested the Kiambu gubernatorial race in 2022, where he was defeated by Governor Kimani Wamatangi.