In an embarrassing display of power and influence, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua left Kilgoris Member of Parliament (MP) Julius Sunkuli with no choice but to double his donation at a church service. The event, which took place on Sunday in Kilgoris, Narok County, was supposed to be a fundraiser to rebuild two local schools. However, it quickly turned into a public spectacle when Gachagua declined Sunkuli’s initial offering of Ksh2 million.
Gachagua was at the church service to oversee the fundraising efforts for Ol Motonyi Primary School and Ol Motonyi Secondary School, promising that President William Ruto’s administration would allocate Ksh10 million for the schools’ renovations. But the drama unfolded when Narok Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu generously pledged to buy a school bus for the institutions.
Gachagua then turned his attention to Sunkuli, asking what the MP planned to contribute. Sunkuli, feeling the pressure, offered Ksh2 million. However, Gachagua, clearly unimpressed, publicly scorned the amount, stating that it was “too little.” Amidst cheers from the congregation, Gachagua demanded that Sunkuli increase his donation to Ksh5 million.
This public spectacle left Sunkuli no choice but to comply, as the Deputy President continued to exert pressure, asking the congregation, “Should he add? How much should he add?” The congregation seemingly rubber-stamped Gachagua’s demand with their approval.
To add to the theatrics, Deputy President Gachagua, not content with his own display of influence, also donated Ksh1 million towards the church’s development.
But the embarrassment did not end there. Gachagua went on to urge Sunkuli, who had just reclaimed his seat after two decades, to abandon the opposition and join forces with the national government, despite Sunkuli’s ticket being from the Kenya African National Union (KANU). Sunkuli’s political history includes holding the Kilgoris seat from 1992 to 2002 and serving as the Internal Security Minister during the late President Daniel Moi’s regime. He had also unsuccessfully vied for the Narok Senate seat in 2013 and had multiple unsuccessful attempts to secure the parliamentary seat in 2002, 2007, and 2017.
