Divided opinion over Gachagua startling pronouncements

Impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua addresses the press after leaving Karen Hospital, Nairobi, on October 20, 2024. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

Senators and Members of National Assembly have given mixed reactions over impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's sentiments on Sunday after he was discharged from hospital.

Close allies of Gachagua have faulted the state over how it has treated the impeached DP, while those who supported his removal said the claims he made are the last kicks of a dying horse.

Gachagua, on Sunday, in an emotional tirade spoke about the withdrawal of his security despite the courts pronouncing themselves on his case which meant he was still in office.

Addressing the Media after being discharged from Karen Hospital Gachagua shocked the country when he alleged that the motion to kick him out was conceived after two failed attempts to assassinate him through poisoning.

Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni yesterday said Gachagua led his supporters to the current mess. Kioni said Gachagua led other leaders in disrespecting former President Uhuru Kenyatta and convinced the masses to support Kenya Kwanza which has turned into a disappointment.

Kioni said while he was unhappy that Gachagua was being mistreated, he was to blame for what had befallen him.

“Gachagua told us that he will not enter into any political agreement with Ruto, whatever is happening now is not accidental, when we said Ruto will misgovern this country we were dismissed, Gachagua led the team abusing us across Mount Kenya region,” said Kioni.

Narok Senator Ledama ole Kina termed Gachagua sentiments as the last kicks of a dying horse and that he predicted it on the same day he went to hospital and disabused the notion that an impeachment process is an attack against a region.

“Impeachment is a constitutional process that parliament has been given the task to be able to hold public officers accountable today we may be discussing the impeachment of a Deputy President, tomorrow, we might be discussing the impeachment of a President,” said Ledama.

He said the Senate has constantly debated impeachment of governors here and that he has never heard, at one given time, people come up and say they are targeting a particular community.

National Assembly Majority Whip Silvanus Osoro said President Ruto deserves a competent deputy similar to what he was during his tenure as deputy president from 2013- 2017.

Osoro said during his first term as DP Ruto was charismatic, witty, passionate to the course, energetic and aggressive enough to do rounds in the country selling government agenda.

“We are wishing Rigathi Gachagua quick recovery at home and thank him for the awesome skits displayed in the past 24 months, I wish he could have listened to me immediately after the 2022 general elections, we could not be where we are today,” said Osoro.

Nyandarua Senator John Methu (left) said they have not heard the president make any comment since the impeachment motion started being discussed. [File, Standard]

The Founder of Faith Evangelistic Ministries Reverend Teresiah Wairimu who is considered to be one of the spiritual leaders close to President Ruto expressed her disappointment over what is happening in government stating that it is not what Kenyans voted for in 2022.

“For a long time I have been thinking this a government of God because we elected it to office, to our embarrassment it is a government of fights, instead of majoring on things concerning like improving our economy, or having a better health sector, we are arming ourselves like we are going to war,” said Reverend Wairimu.

Tharaka Nithi Senator Mwenda Gataya expressed doubts over the allegations made by Gachagua. He doubted whether some of the claims were true saying the country is set for a busy political week stating that he reserved his comments over the issues raised.

Kiambu Senator Karungo Thangwa a close Gachagua ally said that the Impeached Deputy President fell ill and he requested for time for the Senate to give him an opportunity to heard after hospital. That opportunity was not granted.

“The Senate was in hurry that it impeached Gachagua in absentia, I believe without any fear of contradiction that this was a flawed process at some point, i did not even know who were impeaching, was it the Deputy President or the Governor of Siaya County,” said Thangwa.

Nyandarua Senator John Methu said they have not heard the president make any comment since the impeachment motion started being discussed.

Methu a close ally to Gachagua said the Senate was treated to a charade of allegations and accusations, which in his opinion was not substantiated either by the mover of the motion or the advocates that accompanied him to the senate.

“This divorce that the President is looking for, he shall get it, but it will be painful, hurtful and catastrophic. It will have casualties, we might be the first casualties however, the casualties of today are not necessarily the casualties of tomorrow,” said Methu.

Kisumu Senator Tom Ojienda said impeachments are not like presidential disputes where article 140(1) of the constitution expressly gives the Supreme Court jurisdiction to adjudicate within 14 days.

The Kisumu Senator said article 145(7) read together with 150(2) provides for the finality of a presidential impeachment upon a vote by the Senate with the President or Deputy President ceasing to hold office.

“There is no provision for appeal to the Supreme Court, had the people intended to have the courts adjudicate on Presidential impeachments, they would have expressly provided for it as they do the election disputes,” said Ojienda.