Levis Wandera reveals explosive details about working for former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua – tribalism, mistrust, and refusal to take security advice forced his exit months before DCP tour
In a bombshell interview that pulls back the curtain on Kenya’s VIP protection dynamics, Levis Wandera, a former bodyguard to ousted Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, has disclosed that the ex-second-in-command’s unwillingness to accept advice made his job nearly impossible.
Speaking candidly during a Sunday, December 21, 2025 podcast interview, Wandera painted a picture of a principal who operated on his own terms, regardless of security concerns raised by his professional protection team.
The former close protection officer revealed that during the four months he served Gachagua, the former DP proved exceptionally difficult to advise and consistently demanded that situations unfold according to his preferences, creating dangerous security vulnerabilities.
“It Was Hard Advising Gachagua”
“It was hard advising Gachagua; he would always want things to go his way,” Wandera said.
This fundamental clash between professional security protocols and Gachagua’s insistence on personal control became the primary factor that drove Wandera to resign from the security team months before Gachagua launched his high-profile Democracy for Citizens (DCP) continental tour.
Wandera explained the impossible position that bodyguards face when protecting stubborn principals who dismiss professional security advice.
He pointed out that dealing with such individuals creates an untenable situation because when the boss refuses to take advice and insists on dictating security arrangements, personal protectors automatically shoulder all responsibility if any security lapse occurs or if anything happens to the VIP.
The former bodyguard stressed that bosses must take their bodyguards’ advice seriously, and that protectors should feel empowered to voice concerns without fear of dismissal or retaliation.
Wandera challenged the traditional hierarchy that places VIP preferences above security expertise, arguing that in protection scenarios, the boss’s word should not automatically override professional security assessments.
He observed that security lapses involving VIPs typically occur when protection teams deal with difficult bosses who insist on maintaining control rather than trusting their trained security personnel.
Tribalism and Mistrust: The Hidden Security Threat
Wandera dropped another revelation and rarely discussed problem in Kenyan VIP protection: tribal considerations often trump professional qualifications when principals select their security teams.
He disclosed that people who did not understand the security industry surrounded the former DP, creating an environment poisoned by mistrust and tribalism.
According to Wandera, Gachagua demonstrated a clear preference for working with people from his own tribe and those from his home region as part of his security team, a practice he notes cuts across the board with most Kenyan VIPs preferring their kinsmen to handle their protection.
“There were a lot of issues; he was also surrounded by a lot of people who never understood the industry. I am also sorry to say this tribalism in Kenya has a long way to go. Someone says, ‘This guy doesn’t speak my mother tongue; I can’t trust him,’ and that is why most VIPs prefer people who are from their own tribes or closer to where they live.”
Evacuating Under Fire: The Shamata Incident
Despite the challenging working conditions, Levis Wandera provided insight into his professional capabilities by recounting how he successfully evacuated his former boss from multiple attacks during political rallies.
He specifically cited a harrowing incident in Shamata, Nyandarua County, where attackers fired a teargas canister directly at Gachagua, immediately disrupting the public meeting and forcing the security team into emergency evacuation protocols.
Wandera recalled that the atmosphere in the area felt palpably dangerous throughout the event, requiring the protection team to maintain maximum alertness even before the actual attack materialized.
