ODM diehard and self-proclaimed Ghetto President Gaucho Calvince Okoth has opened up about his past involvement in crime, detailing a turbulent journey from Nairobi’s Mukuru informal settlements to a dramatic transformation he says saved his life.
He recalls surviving in Mukuru by baking mandazi in a small stall earning about Sh35 a day.
When the income became unsustainable, he says he drifted into crime, a path he describes as common among many of his peers at the time.
According to him, most of his then-clique were deeply involved in criminal activities, and few survived the harsh realities of that lifestyle.
He says he witnessed several deaths among his associates, while only a handful managed to transform their lives as he later did.
Gaucho narrates that in 2013 he narrowly escaped what he describes as a life-threatening situation after being arrested and labelled a man with “numbered days” by law enforcement officers.
He says a phone call from Rosemary Odinga, daughter of ODM leader Raila Odinga, changed the course of his life. The two had reportedly met days earlier before his arrest.
He claims the police handed him the phone, allowing him to speak to Rosemary, who then negotiated for his release.
However, he says his freedom came with strict conditions that he must completely reform or risk being eliminated.
“I had opened up to Rosemary that I survived in the city by robbing,” he narrated, adding that this moment marked the beginning of his transformation.
Following the incident, he says he was enrolled at Diguna Discipleship Training Bible School in Ongata Rongai, where he spent about a year and a half undergoing spiritual and personal rehabilitation under the guidance of a religious program.
He notes that while he was undergoing training, many of his former friends remained in crime, a contrast he describes as painful but eye-opening.
After completing the program, Gaucho says he returned with a mission to help others abandon crime, frequently engaging in outreach programs in prisons and rehabilitation centres, including Rumande, preaching transformation and second chances.
Today, he says his focus remains on community transformation and discouraging young people in informal settlements from falling into crime, arguing that early intervention and mentorship can change life trajectories in Nairobi’s urban slums.
His story continues to draw attention among youth advocates who see it as an example of redemption amid growing urban crime challenges in Kenya and beyond.