Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen’s wife, Gladys Wanjiru, has hit back at remarks suggesting that she should return to her family in Mount Kenya, declaring that she has no intention of leaving her husband or their home.
Wanjiru spoke publicly amid a growing political controversy after former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua dragged her into his criticism of Murkomen, telling the CS that his wife should be returned to Mount Kenya.
Addressing mourners during the burial of Murkomen’s maternal aunt, Wanjiru appeared to dismiss the remarks, insisting that she was firmly settled in her current family and would not be uprooted.
“I am the one whom people claim they will come for. I am going nowhere! I am not the same person that they bequeathed, and I have been well taken care of,” she stated.
Wanjiru questioned why individuals claiming to speak as her relatives had entered the political dispute without her authority.
“I have not asked anyone to speak on my behalf, so I don't know why those people pretending to be my relatives are doing so. I am firmly rooted here, and removing me would be a problem,” she stated.
Her remarks appeared to be a direct response to the suggestion that she could be taken back to Mount Kenya because of political differences involving her husband.
The controversy has added a personal dimension to the increasingly heated political exchanges between Gachagua and Murkomen, with the CS maintaining that political disagreements should not be allowed to interfere with his family.
Murkomen has also defended his wife, making it clear that she remains part of his family despite the political dispute. He has previously described Wanjiru as his former classmate and wife, while acknowledging her support for him and their family.
The incident has sparked broader debate over the role of ethnicity in Kenyan politics, particularly as politicians position themselves ahead of the 2027 General Election.
It has also raised questions about whether politicians should involve spouses and other family members in political confrontations.
For Wanjiru, however, the message was unequivocal: she considers herself firmly established in her marriage and has rejected any suggestion that she is preparing to leave.