The planned impeachment bid against DP splits Mt Kenya

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. [File, Standard]

The Kenya Kwanza administration is split following reports of a planned impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

The deputy president is being accused of insubordination, undermining the presidency and fuelling revolt against the government.

On Tuesday, Kiambu Senator Karungo wa Thangwa said President William Ruto has the prerogative of defending his deputy since his continued silence would be interpreted to support the alleged impeachment.

Speaking at Inooro FM Tuesday, Thangwa reminded the Head of State that Mt Kenya region paid the ultimate political debt when the region supported his Presidential bid following his onslaught by former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration.

The war between the president and his deputy has now been taken to the ruling party where the secretary general, Cleophas Malala, is also under siege as the hunt for Gachagua’s apologists has gained momentum.

Malala maintained that the party had not met to make such a resolution to impeach Gachagua and that any person “who was tolerating such an imagination does not mean well for this regime.”

“We should focus on service delivery, especially because our country is coming from social-political unrest that affected the country, it is wrong, untimely and would bring in more conflicts,” he added.

But even with Malala’s advice, his position too is at risk as sources indicate that he is Gachagua’s ally and could impede a move to remove him (Gachagua) as the deputy party leader.

Malala is the next in the purge against Gachagua’s allies as he could be a stumbling block in efforts to remove Gachagua. The secretary general position is touted to be given to a laid-back who will not block political schemes and strategies of the Kenya Kwanza administration.

 Tuesday, a group claiming to be founding members of  UDA  claimed they had unseated Malala from the position of secretary general.

The chairperson of the lobby group Joe Khalende addressed the press at the party’s headquarters where he declared that he would be taking over Malala’s role as the party’s new Secretary General.

“We are here to confirm that Cleophas Malala is no longer the Secretary General of the UDA party because he has joined our opponents by supporting an agenda that contradicts the ruling party and has gone against our party leader by opposing the formation of the broad-based government,” said Khalende.

He said that Malala has continued to derail the party’s operations including getting court orders to stop the party’s grass-root elections and recruitments and also implementation of the bottom-up agenda, by driving it away from the people-centred status from which it was founded and has made it an individual entity.

“UDA party is going back to its members to fulfil the promises made to Kenyans through the bottom-up economic plan,” he asserted.

He added that the planned grass-root elections will continue as planned as the party embarks on a rebranding journey that will see new people being recruited to the party. 

Thang’wa acknowledged a sour working relationship between the President and his Deputy and accused a section of Mt Kenya leaders of exacerbating the problem as opposed to seeking to unify the two.

“The biggest problem is the leaders and not the electorate - instead of fighting Gachagua the leaders should defend him so that our community can have a say and influence in this administration,” the Senator added.

Nominated MP Sabina Chege who spoke at Inooro TV, said she would be opposed to Gachagua’s impeachment and wondered why the impeachment would be lodged at a time when the government had included Raila’s allies in the government.

“We have supported Azimio’s Raila Odinga for the African Union Commission chairperson position, and brought ODM members to cabinet, does it mean that it’s only our own who has done so much wrong that we want to remove him from office?” she posed.

On the broad-based government, Thangwa said he would be writing to the Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang’ula demanding an explanation on whether they should continue holding parliamentary positions reserved for the opposition.

“I’m of the view that the positions should be held by other parties that are not in government or even independent candidates. It is treacherous and cunning for the ODM to claim that those who have joined government have done so in their individual capacity so that they can also continue holding the positions,” he said.

While casting doubts on Ruto’s intentions, Ms Chege said “If the president could include opposition members to his cabinet, this move either means he wants to unite the country or to finish ODM completely,” she noted. 

She urged the President to stop any move to remove his Deputy from office saying that he too was a victim of political persecution

“If it’s true, it would be very unfortunate. I pray that President Ruto has not come to such thoughts because he himself went through the same thing when he deputised Uhuru. At first, things seemed well until those surrounding Uhuru began talking ill of the DP,” she added.