A musician based in Sugoi, Uasin Gishu County, who was arrested in December 2022 for impersonating Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, is now seeking to meet with the second-in-command.
The musician known as Rengstar, whose official name is Collins Kipleting, says he wants to meet the DP so that he can personally apologise for his actions.
In an exclusive interview with Uasin Gishu News, Rengstar said the bid to be famous pushed him to open an account in the name of the Deputy President, which he later used to ask for money from members of the public.
“I only got Ksh6 from the post, and DCI confirmed it,” the Sugoi-based musician said.
He, however, noted that initially he only wanted to use the page to build his career by popularising his music.
“I had a Facebook page, but I was not growing as fast as I wanted, so I renamed it H.E Rigathi Gachagua. The decision seemed to pay off as by the time I was arrested it had over 14,000 followers,” Rengstar said.
But what caught the attention of the police was when he asked for money from members of the public under the pretence that he was mobilising funds to help Kenyans facing anger.
He was later arrested on December 18, 2022, and spent about 10 days behind bars, including three days at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison.
Rengstar apologises to Gachagua
However, having to be subjected to a criminal process, Rengstar says he regrets impersonating the DP and hopes to meet him face to face.
“I personally asked for forgiveness from the Deputy President while in court, but to date I have not received feedback from him. People in my area still see me as a fraudster. I wish I could meet the DP (if possible) to hear him accept my apologies so that I can live in peace,” notes the youthful musician.
Rengstar, who records most of his songs in Kalenjin language, further says that should he get an opportunity to meet the second in command, he will request him for support to set up a recording studio
“Lack of funds is a major challenge upcoming youths face. This is why I would ask that DP Gachagua helps me set up a studio that I will use to nurture other upcoming talents,” he said.
He further revealed that he is already working on an apology song for the DP.
When he was presented before the Milimani Court, Rengstar pleaded guilty to impersonation charges and was sentenced to 7 months in jail with an option to pay Ksh50,000.
He had to rely on his friends and family who made contributions that enabled him to be set free after three days at the Kamiti Maximum Prison.
The artist started recording his songs about a year ago. He has so far recorded 12 songs, including one video.
He names popular Kalenin music star Sweetstar as an artist he wishes to collaborate for a song in future.
“Sweetstar is a person who gives me inspiration as a musician,” Rengstar tells Uasin Gishu News.
