There are power couples, and then there is Rigathi Gachagua sitting still on a lakeside deck in the United States while his wife, Pastor Dorcas, gives him a fresh shave.
The former Deputy President and Dorcas are currently in the US for what has been described as an extended family holiday, to be followed by a political and diaspora engagement tour.
Amid the busy schedule, it is the quieter, more personal moments that appear to be capturing the attention of Kenyans online.
Dorcas takes on barber duties
A video, filmed in a relaxed handheld style reminiscent of a home movie, shows Dorcas carefully tending to her husband’s hair on what appears to be a wooden deck overlooking a lake.
The footage gives viewers a rare peek into the couple’s private world.
The exchange between them is playful and unscripted. At one point, Gachagua voices a concern about his hair being cut too short, saying:
“Don’t make it like Elizabeth.”
Dorcas, unimpressed, shoots back that she knows exactly what she is doing, while Gachagua insists on leaving “some little hair” behind.
The back-and-forth ends with him muttering something about wearing a hat, drawing laughs.
Dorcas and Gachagua couple goals
What makes the clip particularly compelling is its ordinariness. No cameras set up for effect, no formal setting, just a husband and wife navigating the kind of domestic negotiation that plays out in households everywhere.
The fact that it involves a man who until recently held one of the most powerful offices in Kenya has made it all the more striking for many viewers.
The video has been widely reshared since it surfaced, with the loving gesture by Dorcas drawing warm responses from Kenyans who spotted a side of the former DP rarely seen during his time in office.
Gachagua was removed from the deputy presidency in October 2024 following a successful impeachment motion in both houses of Parliament.
Since leaving office, he has remained an active political figure, and the current US visit is expected to include diaspora engagements alongside the family component of the trip.
Dorcas, who is also a pastor, has consistently been a visible and vocal presence by her husband’s side throughout his public life.
