President William Ruto stands to gain by protecting his principal assistant Rigathi Gachagua from the ongoing bashing by the UDA leadership.
The widening gap between Mr Gachagua and those close to the President is a sign of weakness on Ruto’s administration.
The reason that saw Dr Ruto to sidestep Kithure Kindiki for the abrasive Gachagua should make the President to defend his choice from infighting, with threats of impeachment around his neck.
Ruto must put his UDA house in order by shielding his deputy from attacks. By turning to his Mt. Kenya ‘village’, Gachagua is merely seeking attention, which he seems to have been denied by his own ruling class friends. It’s my view that Gachagua is seeking to catch Ruto’s attention by retreating to his home turf.
Like any other politician, Gachagua harbours presidential ambitions and knows well that Mt Kenya alone won’t deliver him the Presidency.
All he is crying out for is his space as second-in-command. It’s now upon Ruto, for whom those hitting the DP seem to be speaking for, to call them all to order.
According to the Constitution, the presidency is a joint ticket and those wishing Gachagua away had better think again because garnering enough votes to pass an impeachment won’t be an easy task. Gachagua doesn’t look like a person one can easily intimidate into resignation.
The best way out is to persevere with his presence in government until 2027 when the President will have another opportunity to pick a new running mate.
Gachagua will easily win sympathy from some MPs who will mobilise to save his skin, and that will dent the UDA administration’s image for a long time.
Leader of Majority in the National Assembly, Kimani Ichung’wah, who seems to be leading the anti-Gachagua crusade ought be reminded that he, too, speaks for Gachagua in the National Assembly.
As the leader of Majority, he is the government’s ear and eye and when he speaks, its the current administration he represents. That very government is only complete with the DP, who he is busy disparaging, hence there is need to accommodate all in the UDA administration.
By using the floor of the august House to attack the person of the DP, Ichung’wah is simply mobilising Kenyans to lose faith in the Ruto administration. Cabinet secretaries, are bound by the principle of collective responsibility such that when one of them fails, they must be there for each other.
When, however, they are criss-crossing the country talking ill of one of their own who also happens to be their superior, that makes Kenyans justified to start questioning how the UDA party won the last elections to govern them.
The earlier the President puts his house in order the better. Some wars are better fought inside conference rooms, away from the eyes and ears of ordinary citizens. As well, the DP, despite the vitriol directed at him, should go slow and seek audience with the President and try to iron out any differences that might be there for a united Presidency with focus on joint execution of their manifesto that earned them victory in 2022.
Mr Omanga is a media practitioner
