Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused Murang’a journalist who was attacked by his wife's aides in November last year of deliberately disrupting Kenya Kwanza functions.
Rigathi said the journalist, Mwangi Muiruri, who works with Nation Media Group, has disrupted several of their functions.
He said the journalist disrupted two functions of President William Ruto while he was a deputy president in Murang’a County.
In November 2021, the journalist was roughed up by Ruto’s aides at Kangari market. His then spokesperson David Mugonyi explained that Mwangi was taking photos and declined to heed the aides’ calls to move away.
Exactly a year later on November 24 last year, Mwangi was assaulted again by Dorcas’ aides at Muti village in the Ithanga sub-county, during a food donations drive.
Muiruri said he was recording the second lady distributing foodstuffs to residents using his mobile phone when he was approached by one of her aides who said he should not have been taking pictures and grabbed his phone.
In the confrontation that was recorded by one of the journalists attending the event, two officers were seen slapping him and attempting to arrest Mwangi as journalists pleaded with them to let him go.
Mwangi later recorded a statement at Kaguku police station as stakeholders in the media industry including the Media Council of Kenya called for action to be taken against the concerned officers.
But the deputy president said Mwangi has formed a habit of causing disruptions in functions.
“He disrupted two of Ruto’s functions when he was a deputy president and when mama Gachagua came to donate food, he disrupted her function in Ithanga."
“The young man distorts things said by leaders and incites readers…. And you people in the media, I need to tell you, please… you’ve said everything about me. You said I am a villager, unkempt, I don’t know how to dress, I am useless, all those things I ignored. The people of Kenya ignored you too and elected me as Deputy President."
He was speaking during the burial service of his brother-in-law’s wife Nancy Muthoni at Kamunyaka primary school in Gatanga constituency, Murang’a.
He further said that he and President Ruto won the top seat because the people of Kenya trusted them.
"And if William Ruto and I, if our fate was to be decided by the press, Ruto would be in Sugoi and I would be in Wamunyoro."
“Mnakuja hapa Murang’a mkutano mzuri mnakoroga….. unajua hii watu ya magazeti, watu ya social media, huwa wameniprofile.. ati naanguasha William Ruto… mimi nanyamaza."
The deputy president said cartels in the agriculture sector were using journalists to disorient his bid to streamline the sector.
“Don’t worry about these friends and social media, they can write whatever they want. We have been given a chance to work for Kenyans and they will judge us, they will see whether we know what we’re doing or not."
“Your opinion is not necessary and I don’t bother about it because we know who pays you. Kama sasa magazeti wameshikwa na hii macartels wa kahawa na chai na Maziwa. Na ni mimi na hawa, hawa watu wanaiba pesa ya maziwa in the next three months, mtaanza kuuza maziwa vizuri."
“Hawa watu ndio wanalipa watu ya magazeti. They try to demoralize me so that I get distracted from fighting coffee tea and milk cartels. My eye is on the ball. I am focused na ni mimi na nyinyi,” he said.