Deputy President Kithure Kindiki addressing Embu county grassroots leaders on Friday, August 28, 2026. /DPCSDeputy President Kithure Kindiki has responded to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over repeated remarks about his distinctive voice, asking why a fellow man should be concerned about something that women have apparently not complained about.
Although Kindiki did not mention Gachagua by name, his remarks on Friday while addressing Embu County grassroots leaders appeared to respond to the former Deputy President's comments about his vocal delivery.
“Niliambia yule ndugu yangu atapata matatizo. Unaenda kuongea mambo ya sauti ya mwanaume, wamama hawajalalamika. Wewe unalalamika kama nani, unatafuta nini? Wamama wamesema tick.”
Loosely translated, Kindiki said he had warned his former boss that he would face trouble, questioning why he was talking about another man's voice when women had not raised any complaints about it.
Gachagua has on several occasions made remarks about Kindiki’s distinctive voice during public appearances, at times referring to the Deputy President as “Soprano”.
Gachagua has sometimes mimicked the Deputy President's tonal variations while addressing crowds, drawing laughter and making Kindiki's distinctive delivery a recurring feature of their political exchanges.
Kindiki has not always taken the remarks lightly. He has previously responded to Gachagua while questioning the substance of his contribution to political debate beyond comments about his voice.
The exchanges have since become part of the wider political contest between the two men, with Kindiki repeatedly warning Gachagua that he will face a political reckoning.
Gachagua, in turn, has shifted the focus to Kindiki's record in government, questioning the Deputy President's development credentials and challenging him to account for what he has achieved in office.
Kindiki has responded by turning the scrutiny back on Gachagua's own record in public service, saying the former Deputy President has promoted political divisions rather than offering substantive arguments on national issues.
The personal exchanges sit within a much broader political fallout between the two men, who served together in President William Ruto's administration before their relationship deteriorated.
Gachagua was removed from the deputy presidency in October 2024 after Parliament impeached him, with Kindiki subsequently appointed and sworn in as his replacement.
The former Deputy President has since emerged as a prominent critic of the Ruto administration and has been positioning himself as a major player ahead of the 2027 General Election.
He is currently on a month-long political tour of the United States, engaging Kenyans and other audiences as he builds his political profile outside the country.
Gachagua has said he travelled to the US to enable himself to make certain political decisions without what he described as undue influence.
Back home, however, the rivalry continues to produce lighter moments, with Kindiki choosing humour to respond to one of the more personal remarks directed at him even in the absence of Gachagua.
