The political storm around Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga has deepened after his recent remarks about the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga triggered widespread anger across the country.
During a burial ceremony in Nyeri, Kahiga made comments in his native Kikuyu language that many Kenyans found insensitive and divisive.
In his speech, he appeared to suggest that Raila’s death was part of God’s plan to restore state resources and development projects to the Mt Kenya region, implying that Odinga’s influence in government had shifted benefits toward Nyanza.
His words quickly spread across social media, sparking backlash from both leaders and citizens who saw them as mocking a man who had played a major role in shaping Kenya’s political history.In the viral video, Kahiga spoke of how “God brought something up” that disrupted what he described as a plan to sideline the Mt Kenya region. He went further to claim that all “goodies” were being directed to Nyanza because of political arrangements tied to the future, but now “God had come through.” He even joked that Raila had been taken to heaven to resolve disagreements among angels, a statement that many felt crossed a moral line. His words came just days after the nation united in mourning Odinga, a leader respected for his long struggle for democracy and reform.
The timing and tone of Kahiga’s comments made them particularly offensive to many Kenyans who felt he was using a national tragedy to score political points.Kahiga’s remarks have also drawn attention to his close political ties with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. The two have shared a long political relationship, with Kahiga often seen as one of Gachagua’s most loyal allies.
Their alliance has long been built around advocating for Mt Kenya’s interests, often through rhetoric that critics describe as regional and exclusionary. For that reason, many observers see Kahiga’s recent remarks as a continuation of Gachagua’s style of politics one that emphasizes the region’s grievances and portrays national politics as a competition for regional benefits.
Some political analysts believe Kahiga’s words may have been meant to rekindle Gachagua’s support base in Mt Kenya ahead of the 2027 elections, though it has instead backfired by drawing national condemnation.
