The British High Commission in Nairobi has identified as fraudulent a document circulating on social media that purportedly declined a request from former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua for a meeting with the UK Prime Minister’s Office.
Through a statement issued on Friday, May 22, the mission rejected the letter allegedly originating from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office that denied Gachagua’s meeting request.
The authorities firmly rejected the document’s legitimacy, which asserted that the UK Prime Minister had turned down the request and contained extensive commentary on Kenya’s domestic political landscape prior to the 2027 General Elections.
“The British High Commission in Nairobi confirms that the letter circulating online is not genuine. Had it been authentic, it might have been stained with spilled tea,” the office stated.
The viral document from Friday implied that the alleged meeting request was politically driven and emphasized that the UK refrains from intervening in the electoral politics of sovereign nations.
“We have determined that your request is not humanitarian or bilateral in nature, but rather focused on the domestic political environment of the Republic of Kenya, particularly concerning your expected candidacy in the 2027 general elections,” the fabricated letter claimed.
“After thoroughly examining the request, I must inform you that the Prime Minister’s Office cannot accommodate the requested meeting during this visit,” the document added.
Nevertheless, UK authorities have clarified that the document is not authentic and should not be regarded as official correspondence.
The authorities, however, did not address whether Gachagua had actually submitted a request for a meeting with the Prime Minister.
The former Deputy President is currently in the UK on a diaspora tour aimed at garnering backing for his Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) as he prepares to contest against President William Ruto in 2027.
During his tour, Gachagua mentioned that if he becomes president in 2027, he would advocate for reforms in the National Assembly, the Senate, the County Assemblies, and the executive to address what he described as the erosion of meritocracy in government.
“I have consistently emphasized that in our Senate and National Assembly, we should nominate individuals from the diaspora to represent your interests in these chambers,” Gachagua stated.
Concurrently, regions where the DCP party has significant support would prioritize nominating diaspora representatives to county assemblies to enact effective legislation and enhance devolution at the local level.