KAIKAI DISPUTES OMBIJA’S CLAIM GACHAGUA SOUGHT HIS SACKING

Royal Media Services (RMS) Editorial Director Linus Kaikai has disputed claims by Citizen TV journalist and Nyakach parliamentary aspirant Trevor Ombija that former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua tried to have him removed from his job.

The controversy began on Friday, September 18, 2026, when Ombija addressed a political gathering in Nyakach as he stepped up his campaign for the constituency’s parliamentary seat in the 2027 General Election.

While speaking to the crowd, Ombija linked his alleged troubles at RMS to a tense interview he had with Gachagua in March 2026.

“As you see me standing here, Gachagua had made calls to try and get me fired from my job because we confronted each other,” Ombija told the gathering.

He went further, saying the confrontation had a political and ethnic dimension before explaining his decision to publicly support President William Ruto.
The remarks quickly spread across social media, with the claim that Gachagua had contacted RMS management becoming the central focus of the ensuing debate.

Kaikai has since rejected the claim, saying Gachagua never contacted RMS to demand Ombija’s dismissal.

“This is not true. There was no such call from former DP Gachagua. Such a call would in any case not be worthwhile at RMS,” Kaikai said.

The editorial director also revealed that he personally sought an explanation from Ombija after the remarks emerged.

According to Kaikai, the journalist acknowledged that he had made a mistake and expressed regret over the statement. He added that Ombija said he had not expected his comments at the political gathering to be widely picked up.

“I have asked Trevor about the remarks, and he says it is ‘a mistake and I regret it’. Trevor has also told me he ‘didn’t think the remarks would be picked up,’” Kaikai said.

The clarification has therefore put the two accounts side by side: Ombija initially told his supporters that Gachagua had attempted to influence his employment, while Kaikai says no such call was made.

The claims were linked to an interview between Ombija and Gachagua earlier in the year.
During the March interview, the former Deputy President accused the journalist of being biased and described the questioning as unprofessional.

“Trevor, you have been very biased on this show, which has been very unprofessional,” Gachagua said during the exchange.

Gachagua also questioned the nature of the programme while responding to discussion around tribal politics. Ombija, for his part, maintained that Gachagua had requested the interview.

Months later, the confrontation resurfaced during Ombija’s campaign in Nyakach.

The latest controversy comes as Ombija moves from the newsroom into active electoral politics.

The Citizen TV journalist has declared his intention to contest the Nyakach parliamentary seat in 2027 and has publicly expressed support for President William Ruto.

His political appearances have placed greater attention on the transition between his long-standing media career and his new role as an aspiring politician.

Ombija joined Royal Media Services in 2019 and has been associated with Citizen TV programmes including Day Break and Monday Report. Before joining RMS, he had worked with other media organisations, including Nation Media Group and CGTN.

His political campaign has now brought some of his past media encounters into the public debate, including the March confrontation with Gachagua.

Gachagua’s Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) has also criticised Ombija’s original remarks, portraying them as politically motivated.

The party questioned the explanation that the statement was simply a mistake and argued that invoking Gachagua and the Mt Kenya region in campaign speeches could be intended to generate political sympathy.

Meanwhile, a September 19 social-media post by Robert Alai repeated the allegation that Gachagua had sought Ombija’s removal and made additional claims about Ombija’s current status at RMS. A separate post attributed to Abuga Makori also carried the original allegation.

For now, the central allegation has been challenged by Ombija’s own employer, with Kaikai saying there was no call from Gachagua seeking the journalist’s dismissal. Gachagua had not, in the material reviewed, issued a separate public response to Kaikai’s clarification.