A political battle over Raila Odinga’s legacy has intensified after National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed rejected Rigathi Gachagua’s questions about the former Prime Minister’s death, accusing the former deputy president of seeking political mileage from a loss he did not publicly mourn.
Junet said Gachagua’s decision to raise questions about Raila’s final days was misplaced, arguing that the former deputy president had remained absent from the Odinga family during the period of mourning and had not expressed remorse following the death.
Speaking on Tuesday while responding to Gachagua’s media briefing, Junet accused him of attempting to attach himself to Raila’s legacy despite what he described as his previous hostility towards the former Prime Minister.
“Rigathi lacks empathy and remorse. He is dancing on the grave of a patriarch and trying to make questions out of the death of a statesman,” Junet said.
Gachagua had challenged the government to explain several issues surrounding Raila’s final days in India, where he died while receiving medical treatment.
Among the issues he raised was whether Raila’s personal doctors were given access to him and whether their recommendations were followed before he travelled to India.
He also questioned the decision not to conduct a post-mortem examination, the use of a private jet for Raila’s journey to India and the identities of the doctors who accompanied him.
Questions were also raised over Raila’s burial arrangements, with Gachagua pointing to his adherence to Luo customs and traditions and questioning why he was laid to rest within 72 hours of his death.
Junet rejected the concerns, saying Gachagua had not demonstrated the same interest in Raila when the family was grieving.
“After today, he has not even gone to the family of Raila to tell them sorry. That's the same guy who wants to use Raila in his statements here and there,” Junet said.
The Suna East MP also revisited Gachagua’s political relationship with Raila, accusing the former deputy president of having taken a hostile position against the opposition leader during the 2023 protests.
Junet alleged that Gachagua had previously been associated with calls for security agencies to take action against Raila during the demonstrations. He did not, however, present new evidence to support the allegation during his response.
He argued that Gachagua’s current interest in Raila’s death could not be separated from his earlier political stance towards the former Prime Minister.
“He has never mourned Raila. It's a fact he hated Raila with a passion,” Junet said.
Raila died on October 15, 2025, aged 80, while undergoing treatment in India. He had travelled to the country for medical care before his death.
Gachagua raised his concerns while presenting his assessment of the Kenya Kwanza administration’s four years in office. His briefing also included questions about the circumstances surrounding the deaths of other prominent Kenyans.
Junet later turned his attention to the wider opposition, criticising Gachagua and his allies over their political capacity.
He argued that the group did not command sufficient numbers or possess the organisational strength needed to mount a serious challenge.
“The opposition in this country has been reduced to the level of Rigathi Gachagua. It's very sorry. We are in a very sorry and sad state of affairs in this country,” he said.
Junet further claimed that Gachagua had been unsettled by the size and organisation of the broad-based political gathering, saying the former deputy president was becoming increasingly isolated in the political arena.