RMS: Gachagua Did Not Ask for Trevor Ombija’s Removal

Royal Media Services (RMS) has denied reports that former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua sought the dismissal of journalist Trevor Ombija following a controversial television interview.

RMS Group Editorial and Strategy Director Linus Kaikai said the company had received no communication from Gachagua seeking action against Ombija. He said Ombija had acknowledged that remarks made during the interview were ill-judged.

“I have asked Trevor about the remarks, and he says it is ‘a mistake and I regret it’,” Kaikai said. He added that Ombija had not expected his comments to attract attention beyond the broadcast.

Kaikai also said that, even if such a request had been made, it would not have influenced decisions at RMS because of the organisation’s editorial independence.

The issue resurfaced after a media outlet reported Ombija’s claim that Gachagua had attempted to have him removed from his position. 

Ombija has said he intends to contest the Nyakach parliamentary seat in the 2027 General Election, placing his work as a journalist alongside his political ambitions. Gachagua’s Democratic Party (DCP) rejected Ombija’s explanation that his remarks were accidental. The party said the comments were politically motivated and intended to portray Gachagua and the Mt Kenya community negatively.

DCP also accused Ombija of using the controversy to advance his political ambitions, citing his planned parliamentary bid as evidence of what it described as deliberate political positioning ahead of the 2027 election. The dispute comes as Gachagua is in the United States, where he is touring and meeting Kenyan diaspora communities.