The Major Change Rigathi Gachagua Made After His Wife Became a Pastor

Life often brings unexpected turns that make us adjust how we live. Sometimes, these changes come quietly but mean a lot.

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua encountered such a twist when his wife became a pastor, leading him to make a noticeable change in his lifestyle. 

Speaking in a recent interview, Gachagua shared that before his wife, Dorcas Rigathi, answered her calling to become a pastor, the two would often enjoy nights out at the discotheque. They loved the music and the lively atmosphere, but everything changed once she embraced her spiritual journey. 

"Now I can't take her to a discotheque, she is a pastor. A long time ago, I used to take her to Doshe in Koinange Street, we would dance the night away, but since she became a pastor, I can't take her to the discotheque, there is too much alcohol, too much smoking, and too much manenos," Gachagua said.

Gachagua noted that, because of his deep love for music and out of respect for his wife's higher calling, he decided to buy a band, which they now occasionally invite to perform at their home; an alternative to their former nights out at the disco.

"I had to look for a way and purchase a band, and when we feel like dancing, we call them, we call people, they come and we enjoy ourselves," he narrated.

Gachagua’s love for music dates back to his university days at the University of Nairobi, where he taught himself how to DJ. What began as a fun pastime quickly became a side hustle. He bought a disco system for about Ksh20,000, which he says was “a lot of money back then” and launched his own mobile disco business, named Jagua Disco, a play on his surname.

“I used to be a DJ back at UON,” he shared during the Obinna interview, noting that he would charge around Ksh1,500 for a night’s work.

His musical interests went beyond deejaying. Gachagua was also a keen dancer, especially drawn to breakdancing, a trend popular in the mid-1980s. After watching the film Breakin’ at Kenya Cinema, he and his friends threw themselves into learning the craft. “We really trained to breakdance,” he said, admitting he was captivated by the moves and the energy of the era.

But with that excitement came risk. Gachagua recalled how some young people, eager to imitate the breakdance routines, attempted complex moves without proper practice. “A few fellows broke their necks,” he noted, highlighting how dangerous it could be for those who dived in headfirst without learning the ropes.

His passion for music remains strong to this day, often evident in his presence at music events and his interactions with various artists.