By Jael Jepkemoi
A Facebook post from a page with the username The Reporter KE shared a digital card dated August 26, 2026, claiming a quote allegedly attributed to Mining and Blue Economy Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho targeting former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
“Gachagua mimi usinijaribu, hiyo umama yako na uzembe peleka mbele. Mimi usinijaribu, mdomo wangu ni noma. Wewe ni mwizi jangili, jibu maswali ya kuibia jamii yako, jibu maswali ya kuibia yatima wa ndugu zakos, jibu maswali ya kubaka na kuuwa watoto wa Kike. Mimi ni mtu wa Ruto, sio mtu wako na usinijaribu.”
Background
In 2024, citizens took to the streets to demonstrate against the Finance Bill. Following the protests, President William Ruto dissolved his entire Cabinet in July 2024, sparing only Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi. To stabilise the state and lower the political temperature, President William Ruto made an unexpected move that reshaped Kenya’s opposition politics. He invited senior leaders from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), many of whom had previously been vocal critics of his administration, to join his government.
The appointments effectively marked a new phase of cooperation between Ruto’s administration and the opposition. ODM Chair John Mbadi was appointed Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury, while then-Ugunja MP and National Assembly Minority Leader James Opiyo Wandayi was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum. Wycliffe Oparanya was appointed to head the Ministry of Cooperatives, while Ali Hassan Joho was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs.
Rigathi Gachagua served as Deputy President for 2 years before the National Assembly and the Senate voted to impeach him. Following his impeachment as Deputy President in October 2024, Rigathi Gachagua formed a new political party, the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP).
On Monday, August 24, 2026, during an address at his Wamunyoro residence in Nyeri County, Gachagua alleged that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) tailored its international tender for the Integrated Election Management System (IEMS) specifically to fit South Korean firm Miru Systems Company Ltd. He asserted that the open bidding process was merely a public relations exercise to cover up an already complete deal.
Gachagua directly named President William Ruto, Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho, and IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon. He alleged that unauthorized planning meetings took place with Miru representatives and claimed that top IEBC officials, including the IEBC Chairperson, Erastus Ethekon, in this case, received financial advances, including a real estate property in Karen to facilitate the contract award. On Tuesday, August 25, 2026, while addressing a public function in Ganze, Kilifi County, CS Joho delivered a firm political response, pushing back against Gachagua’s allegations
Verification
To verify the authenticity of the quote, Piga Firimbi cross-referenced the digital card against video recordings and official coverage of Hassan Joho’s speech in Ganze, Kilifi County. During his address in Ganze on August 25, 2026, CS Hassan Joho responded directly to Gachagua’s election rigging claims. His verified remarks were:
“Jana aliyekuwa naibu rais Gachagua alitaja jina langu. Namwomba aache kunitaja katika kashfa zozote,”My friend ukija twaja usinijaribu kunitaja , Mimi siogopi looting mimi ni Mnoko mimi hunijui my friend ,kama Kuna mbaya na papaya hapa ni headquarters ukinijaribu mimi nitapambana na wewe mimi ikibidi nikukose heshima nitakosa lakini ukiniheshimu nitakuheshimu ukinipaka nitakupaka double wewe unanitaja wewe unanijua ukweli mimi sio wakutajwa ovyoovyo.
Ati wewe , Hassan Joho umeshikana Naibu Mwenyekiti wa IEBC wa kutoka pwani ati kuiba kura , ile kitu nataka Kuambia Rigathi Gachagua, Sisi hatuna mpango wa kuiba kura, lakini tuko na mpango wa kupiga kura. Safari hii tutapiga kura kwa njia ambayo haijawahi kuonekana. Haamini kuwa Kuna msichana mdogo ametoka Lamu mdogo ,mnyonge Amekua Deputy chair mentally ya backwardness yaani kwasababu ametoka kwa wachache you can target them , abuse them Misuse them na uwaharibie jina it can never happen .”
While Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho did address former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua directly in Ganze, Kilifi County, he never uttered the words published in the digital card such as mwizi jangili, kuibia yatima wa ndugu zako, mimi sio Ruto, hiyo uzembe na umama yako peleka mbele or kubaka na kuuwa watoto wa kike. The photo of Hassan Joho featured in the digital card was not taken during his address in Ganze. The image was taken during an empowerment drive in Hola, Tana River County, featured in an article published by People Daily Digital on July 2, 2025.
Verdict
The claim that Joho uttered those words to Rigathi Gachagua is FALSE.
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