"Nitakuona chini ya kitanda": Betty Maina confronts Gachagua over personal jibes
This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.
- Murang'a Woman Representative Betty Maina issued a stern warning to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Wednesday, August 19
- Maina told Gachagua she had no objection to political criticism but drew a firm line at any discussion of her marriage
- The MP threatened to show up at Gachagua's Wamunyoro home if he continued making personal remarks about her
Amos Khaemba, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over four years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.
Murang'a Woman Representative Betty Maina publicly confronted former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Wednesday, August 19, warning him in blunt terms to keep her marriage out of any political discussions he chooses to have about her.
Maina, a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) legislator, posted the warning on her public Facebook page, where it drew over 3,400 likes and 74 shares within hours of going up.
What Betty Maina said to Gachagua
In her post, Maina made clear she had no issue with political scrutiny, telling Gachagua he was free to call her a one-term MP and to raise any concerns about her conduct in office. However, she drew a sharp line at references to her personal life.
"Discuss me on political issues, OK. Call me one term! OKEY," she wrote, before shifting her tone considerably.
She then warned Gachagua that if he brought her marriage into the conversation again, no intervention from the Inspector General of Police would stop her from appearing at his Wamunyoro home.
"Not even the IG your agemate Mr Kanja will block me from coming to your gate in Wamunyoro, nitakutoa chini ya kitanda cha mkeo," she wrote.
Maina also referenced Gachagua's sons in her message, describing them as "two fat unmarried boys" and declaring she would make herself a guest at his home.
She closed the post with a rhetorical question: "Am I the only married woman in politics?"
Maina's post draws attention online
The post, written partly in Swahili and partly in English, attracted significant engagement, with followers weighing in on the public exchange between the two Murang'a politicians.
Maina's decision to post the warning publicly rather than address the matter privately underlined the sharpness of her response to whatever Gachagua had reportedly said.
Gachagua, who was impeached as Deputy President in October 2024, has remained an active political figure in the Mount Kenya region and has continued to engage in political commentary since leaving office.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.