MP Barasa mocks Gachagua’s exit from UDA

Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa has brushed off Rigathi Gachagua’s resignation from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), saying the former deputy president’s departure from the party was a matter already long settled.

"In a pointed message shared via his X account on Monday, May 12, 2025, Barasa took a jab at Gachagua, suggesting the political partnership between them had collapsed the moment Gachagua “escaped to Wamunyoro village."

"Listen @rigathi, your purported resignation is hereby declared null and void ab initio. The dissolution of your political alliance was finalised the moment you fled to Wamunyoro village. A decree absolute was issued, severing all ties," Barasa stated.

Barasa went on to compare Gachagua’s newfound political ties—especially with the Wiper Party- to an unlawful cohabitation, stressing that the Mathira politician was now navigating politics "on a faulty foundation."

"A decree absolute was issued, ending all ties. Your recent alignment with the Wiper Party amounts to unauthorised cohabitation, and you are officially reminded that your actions are based on an erroneous premise," he stated.

Infusing his remarks with a touch of theatricality, Barasa took a veiled swipe at Gachagua’s wavering political stance, urging him, through a cryptic metaphor, to find a cause worth anchoring to.

"Seek now the singular melon that thrives from Limpopo’s southern flow to the Sahara’s northern sands. Wed your fate to it, or remain forever adrift," he declared.

Barasa’s remarks followed just hours after Rigathi Gachagua tendered his resignation from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in a sharply worded letter addressed to the party’s Secretary-General.

Dated May 12, 2025, the letter saw Gachagua accuse the party’s top leadership of abandoning its founding principles and squandering what he called a historic opportunity for national transformation.

He alleged that UDA had morphed into a vessel for "a retrogressive philosophy championed by an unfit class to govern the nation,” and dismissed the ruling coalition’s pledge of economic inclusion as "a lie."

“By a copy of this letter, you are notified that I have officially resigned from the UDA Party with immediate effect,” Gachagua wrote.

"I have made this decision in the knowledge of the ideals of the Party we believed in…but now it has turned out as the most dangerous political moment for the people and the Republic of Kenya. No nation can be built on a litany of lies," he added.

Gachagua further criticised the UDA administration for falling short in delivering on critical promises, citing failures in agriculture, healthcare, housing, women’s empowerment, and digital infrastructure.

He singled out the Hustler Fund as a glaring example of the government’s shortcomings: "The dream for the Hustler Fund, as it were, was to lift Kenyans at the bottom of the economic pyramid. What business can Ksh500 start sustainably?" he questioned.

UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar has dismissed Gachagua’s resignation as both unnecessary and a calculated move to avoid accountability for his leadership shortcomings.

"In October last year, the UDA Party reviewed the reasons behind your impeachment and acted decisively by stripping you of your position as Deputy Party Leader. This late resignation is nothing more than a desperate attempt to rewrite the narrative of your failed leadership, which was marked by a lack of understanding and poor execution of your responsibilities," Omar said in a statement released on May 12, 2025.

"You left a legacy as one of the most divisive and ethnically charged leaders to ever occupy such a senior national position. I am confident the country has learned enough never to entrust someone like you with such power again."

Omar further criticized Gachagua for what he termed as political backsliding, accusing him of clinging to ethnic mobilization and outdated tactics to maintain relevance.

"With your resignation, the Party has finally rid itself of a toxic, outdated, and divisive figure whose actions have persistently threatened national unity," he stated.