Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said he chose not to appear at the June 25 demonstrations to avoid giving weight to claims that he organised or funded the youth-led protests.

In an interview with NTV on Friday,  he recalled how Gen Z explicitly asked older politicians to keep their distance during the 2024 rallies.

"I didn't want to join the protests; during the 2024 protests, Gen Z asked us, the elders, to keep off the protests. That is how it should be because they don't want to be owned by anybody because they are not under the direction of anybody and not financed by anybody," he said.

Gachagua insisted his moral support for the cause should not be mistaken for leadership or financing.

"If I had turned up in the streets on Wednesday, it would have given credit to the ridiculous accusations that I financed the Gen Zs. I'm not the leader, I'm not their financier; I just support them morally because I support their cause," he added.

While Gachagua stayed away, other opposition figures such as Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and DAP-K’s Eugene Wamalwa joined the crowds.

He criticised the government’s response, condemning police for firing live rounds and using excessive force on peaceful young demonstrators.

"In the strongest terms possible, I condemn the use of excessive force and live bullets by the Police on peaceful and unarmed Gen‑Z protesters witnessed yesterday across the country. Intimidating the peaceful and young demonstrators who were only remembering their slain colleagues in the struggle only complicates the matter for you and your rogue regime, Mr. Ruto," he said.

Linking the unrest to broken promises, Gachagua said the youth were driven by unmet pledges of jobs and economic freedom.

"The cause of the Gen‑Z protests is well-known by the Government and every Kenyan; Mr. Ruto, you know you promised our young people jobs and economic liberation. You know what you have delivered to them and their parents," he said.

He also accused state actors of planting disruptors to tarnish the movement’s image.

"Last week, during the protests over the brutal murder of Mr. Albert Ojwang, Mr. Ruto and the Nairobi Governor organized goons to beat up the peaceful demonstrators in Nairobi, but yesterday you changed tactics, where goons were instructed to loot and destroy property," he claimed.