Uhuru Kenyatta and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua shared a light-hearted moment during the funeral of Beatrice Wambui Muturi at PCEA Nairobi West Church on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, after Gachagua confessed to spending KSh1.5 million that was meant to support Kenyatta’s 2017 re-election campaign.
The exchange, which drew laughter from mourners, came after Gachagua narrated how the late Wambui had given him the money following the Supreme Court’s decision to annul the August 2017 presidential election results.
According to Gachagua, Wambui approached him during a difficult period when the Jubilee campaign team was struggling financially as preparations for the repeat presidential election gathered momentum.
However, instead of using the money for the intended campaign activities, Gachagua admitted that he diverted it to meet his personal financial needs.
“Aliniletea pesa kwa karatasi ya nylon nisaidie Uhuru, lakini nilikuwa na mahitaji yangu. Hiyo KSh1.5 million, I confess, nilitumia kwa mambo yangu,” Gachagua confessed.
His admission prompted a humorous response from Kenyatta, who joked that although he had retired from active presidential duties, he would make a personal visit to Gachagua’s Wamunyoro residence to recover the money.
“Mimi niliretire, lakini nitaenda kwa Wamunyoro kudai ile pesa yangu ya campaign aliyochukua,” Kenyatta joked, sending mourners into laughter.
Beyond the humorous exchange, the funeral provided a significant political moment as Kenyatta challenged opposition leaders to put aside personal ambitions and unite ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Addressing Gachagua, Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, former Defence Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa and other political figures, the former Head of State observed that political leadership required compromise, particularly when several individuals were eyeing the presidency.
“As I keep telling my brothers here, Steve, Rigathi, Eugene and others, unajua kiti inaweza kukaliwa na mtu mmoja. Pia mimi naskiza ground, sio ati masikio imefungwa,” he said.
Kenyatta added that his interactions with ordinary Kenyans suggested that national unity among opposition leaders had become a major public concern.
“Ninapotembea ground kutafuta kauji, nasikia watu wakisema ni kama wameamua kwamba shida yao ni moja, na hiyo shida ni umoja wa hii watu,” he stated.
He urged the leaders to organise themselves and develop a common political strategy that would respond to Kenyans’ expectations ahead of the next elections.
“Watu wanataka kuona hawa viongozi wetu wakishikana, lakini nahisi wameamua mahali wanaenda. Viongozi wetu, mjipange na muungane mtimize vile Wakenya wanataka,” Kenyatta added.
The former President further emphasised that political unity must be accompanied by justice, warning that lasting peace could not be achieved without addressing injustices.
“And I am sure that is what you will deliver for us, with justice. There can be no peace without justice,” he said.
In his address, Gachagua described the late Wambui as an influential figure in his personal and political life, crediting her with introducing him to entrepreneurship and helping him acquire some of his properties, including his Karen residence.
“I have come here because of our long history with the late. She taught me entrepreneurship, and the properties I own in this country, including my Karen home, were acquired through her help,” he said.
He also joked that following his removal from the Deputy President’s office, he had started selling some of the properties he acquired with Wambui’s assistance.
“Tangu nifutwe kazi, properties alizonisaidia kupata ndio nauza moja moja,” he remarked.
Gachagua further reflected on his political relationship with Kenyatta, recalling how their association was affected by individuals who allegedly worked to create divisions between them.
However, he declared that he would not allow anyone to come between them again.
“Mtu aliingia katikati yangu na Uhuru kutusambaratisha, lakini sasa si tuko pamoja? Let me say this: nobody will ever succeed in coming between me and former President Uhuru Kenyatta again,” he stated.
The DCP leader also used a Kikuyu allegory involving a herder, a hyena and missing sheep to illustrate lessons from his political experiences.
Meanwhile, Kalonzo defended Kenyatta’s continued involvement in national political conversations, arguing that retirement from public office did not strip the former President of his constitutional right to contribute to discussions about Kenya’s future.
The Wiper leader also called for collective efforts to address the country’s challenges while defending Gen Z’s constitutional right to political expression.
The funeral brought together several prominent political figures who paid tribute to Wambui, whom Kenyatta described as an important pillar of his extended family.
The former President recalled her close relationship with his mother, Mama Ngina Kenyatta, dating back to her marriage to Kenya’s founding President, Jomo Kenyatta.
Kalonzo also honoured the deceased for her contribution to Kenya’s independence struggle and political history.
With the 2027 General Election approaching, Kenyatta’s appeal for opposition unity, coupled with his public show of warmth towards Gachagua, added another interesting dimension to the evolving political conversations surrounding the country’s next electoral contest.
