Ruto, Gachagua unleash their 'attack dogs' in proxy wars

President William Ruto , Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua Nyandarua Governor Ndirangu Badilisha after a church service at Ndogino, Ndaragwa, Nyandarua County on July 14, 2024. [PCS]

The guns may have gone silent but the war is still on. Although President William Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua continue to display some sort of camaraderie, the two camps are still engaged in proxy wars.

They have been deploying their ‘attack dogs’ who are exploiting every opportunity to undermine their chosen side publicly.

The President has several MPs led by National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah (Kikuyu) National Assembly Majority Whip Sylvanus Osoro (South mugirango) Mwangi Kiunjuri (Laikipia East) Oscar Sudi (Kapsaret). They have sustained attacks against the Deputy President.

Ruto’s camp seems to have received a boost after his unity deal with Azimio leader Raila Odinga. Now several Raila’s allies including Homabay Governor Gladys Wanga are among those who have now joined forces targeting Gachagua over his past ‘shareholding’ remarks.

“You have done us proud by going against the shareholding remarks where we had been told that this government belongs to a section of the people.

‘‘We now back you after you appointed leaders from our region to join the government,’’ Wanga said on August 28 during a rally attended by both Ruto and Gachagua.

On his part, Gachagua’s defenders include James Gakuya (Embakasi North) Benjamin Gathiru (Embakasi Central) Jane Kihara (Naivasha) Njeri Maina (Kirinyaga) among others who have been firing back at the attackers.

The anti-Gachagua crusaders are advancing a narrative that the DP had a hand in the Gen Z protests claiming he wanted to topple Ruto’s administration.

They are also blaming Gachagua for blackmailing the President by making unreasonable demands from his administration and pushing him to the corner, a move they claim forced him to expand his administration and incorporate Raila’s allies in government.

Ichung’wah, who is the main architect of the narrative, is on an all-out campaign to hit out at Gachagua claiming, without giving evidence, that his target has built hotels from the using public resources.

Accusing the second in command of being a tribalist, Ichungwa claimed he was seeking to gather people along the ethnic lines and vowed to face him head-on, just as he used to fight former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

“I faced Uhuru while he was the President as a mere MP. You can’t intimidate me because you have a position which is next to that of the President. No one can threaten me in this country, I only fear, God, hot porridge and electricity,” he said yesterday.

The parliamentary majority leader claimed that Gachagua had blackmailed the President and his administration ‘so that he could buy hotels in Nairobi and Mt Kenya using public coffers.

“True leadership is about building bridges and bringing people together, not exploiting differences for political gain. The future of our nation depends on our ability to rise above division and embrace unity as our guiding principle.”

It is therefore imperative for leaders to reject the outdated tactics of using ethnicity and regionalism to fragment and divide our nation.

‘‘The era of tribal lords and kingpins, where people were used as mere political pawns, has passed. Our focus must be on fostering unity, where the collective strength and cohesion of the nation take precedence over narrow regional or ethnic perspectives,” he claimed.

 On August 4, Gachagua waded into the issue of hotels maintaining that those opposed to him wanted to use his businesses to gain mileage. He clarified that he had made his fortune before being elected the Deputy President and that his children now run the businesses and have the right to make their own investment choices.

“Everyone knows I had money that had been frozen but was later released. Where was I supposed to take that money?” he questioned.

 Sudi another Gachagua critic, called upon the President to go ahead and expand his administration and award Principal Secretaries to Raila’s allies.

“Some people who are inside the government contributed to the enhancement of the broad-based government. We should continue sharing the national cake and consider more people for the positions of principal Secretaries,” Sudi said.

He added, “I see some people pretending that they support the broad-based government but at the heart of their hearts they were insatiable of government goodies, when they are given this they demand for the other. And this has forced the President to give away some positions because of greed and bad manners,” he said.

Gachagua has also received support from Azimio leaders who have warned him to stay alert in the new deal between the President and Raila.

The leaders led by DAP-Kenya leader Eugene Wamalwa yesterday urged Gachagua to be wary of the new friends of the government warning that he may be the next on the chopping table.

“Politics keep changing and it may take a different route in future. I urge Gachagua to be very alert on the new developments. You must be very alert and look for more friends” said Wamalwa.