Riggy G's impeachment shows Ruto's political chess mastery

President William Ruto and DP Rigathi Gachagua.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua aka Riggy G met his waterloo in the National Assembly on Tuesday when 281 MPs voted to remove him from his post. Only 44 lawmakers voted to keep him as the country’s second in command.

Pundits are pointing to President Ruto’s political mettle in mobilization of MPs, and excellent execution of the impeachment. Whatever the strategy that was employed in achieving the seamless process, everyone agrees that President Ruto is a political Chessmaster. Many people attribute the President’s political adeptness to the tutelage that he received at the feet of the self-declared ‘professor of politics”, the late President Daniel Moi.

Undoubtedly, the process could not have been that smooth without an invisible hand directing it from the background. When Kibwezi West MP, Mwengi Mutuse, announced his intention to introduce the private member’s motion to impeach Gachagua, 291 MPs appended their signatures in support of it.

When the motion was first moved in the National Assembly, it could not be executed due to the requirement for public participation. Kenyans in all counties gave their views on the matter, and once that hurdle was overcome, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula, allowed the debate to go on. The country then came face-to-face with the reality of the fluid and illusory nature of power. Here was a Deputy President who only three weeks before was so powerful that his word was law.

When he appeared in Parliament for the impeachment motion, he looked forlorn, pensive, remorseful and apologetic. Unfortunately for him, the die had been cast. He had made things worse the evening before by defending himself in the court of public opinion on national television.

In the said defense, the DP gave a very eloquent blow-by-blow defense of the accusations leveled against him in the petition. Unwittingly, the public defense introduced a shadowy property ownership nexus between the DP, his children and the estate of his late brother and former Nyeri Governor, Nderitu Gachagua. bnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

The DP’s attempt to push most of the properties associated with him to his children and late brother’s estate only ended up raising more contradictions and suspicions than solutions. The legislators picked up vital leads from the DP’s unsolicited public defense, which helped them to prepare in readiness for the material day. As provided for by the constitution, standing orders and law of natural justice, the DP was allowed two hours to formally present his defense. The legislators appeared to have long made up their minds that they were sending Gachagua home. All the effort that was expended on public participation, and Gachagua’s eloquent defense amounted to naught.

The most unexpected supporters of the impeachment motion were the MPs from Meru, Tharaka Nithi, and Embu counties, who were typically considered cousins and natural allies of the Gikuyu, Gachagua’s kin. About one month prior to the motion, there had been talk about Ruto’s strategy to create a wedge between the Gikuyu and all the other communities in the region.

Whether the accusations were real or perceived, the DP made frantic attempts to keep the region as one large voting bloc, often repeating the now famous restraint, “bora msiguze morima” (provided you don’t touch the mountain).

Deep pockets

With the split among the Mount Kenya votes during the debate on the impeachment motion in the National Assembly, it is now apparent that the interests of the Meru, Tharaka, Nithi and Embu communities diverged from those of the Gikuyu in the matter of the office of the DP, a fact that has truly confounded observers.

Many people will recall that in the run up to the August 2022 presidential poll, President Ruto had preferred Interior CS Kithure Kindiki to Gachagua for his running mate position. Those in the know opine that Gachagua would ultimately bully his way to the number two position by dangling his deep pockets and the Gikuyu community’s numerical superiority.

It is said that Ruto had no choice but to go with Gachagua to the polls lest they lose to Azimio leader Raila Odinga. In reality, therefore, Ruto and Gachagua were strange bed fellows, only brought together by political expediency. It was just a matter of when, and not if, the two would go their separate ways.

Kikuyu MP, Kimani Ichungwa, has legitimate expectations that if Gachagua is sent packing, the DP slot will most likely go back to the Gikuyu. Since he is the most senior MP apart from the DP, his chances of flying the number two flag are almost certain. Perhaps that is the reason Ichungwa fiercely broke ranks with his Gikuyu brothers and sisters who were determined to rescue Gachagua.

Likewise, President Ruto has in recent months been dangling the DP cake to the Kamba MPs whose kingpin, Kalonzo Musyoka, had prior to the impeachment vote been associating very closely with Gachagua.

With DP Gachagua’s removal looking probable, the Kamba are waiting on the wings to be rewarded for their effort in the impeachment process. Perhaps, Kalonzo’s sudden silence could be attributed to an expectation of good tidings about to visit Ukambani. Similarly, the ODM brigade is relishing their new-found camaraderie with Ruto as much as the Luhya are celebrating the elevated positions of Musalia Mudavadi and Wetangula in government. With the Luo and Luhya communities supporting the government, the President now has competent checkmates for the Mount Kenya region.

Meanwhile, Ruto and Raila have kept a studious silence over the Gachagua saga. This strategy is effective in ensuring that the two bigwigs stay above the fray so that nobody blames them for taking sides in the issue. By leaving everyone guessing as to who will be appointed to replace Gachagua should Parliament finally impeach him, Ruto has shown that he has come of age in political mastery.

Prof Ongore teaches at the Technical University of Kenya
[e-mail]