What Gachagua's public defence revealed about the government

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua (centre) arrives for Impeachment hearing at the National Assembly, Nairobi, on October 8,2024. [File, Standard]

The Deputy President’s self-staged and executed public defence on the allegations listed as grounds for his impeachment brought out extremely useful details on how the Kenya Kwanza government operates that we, ordinary Kenyans, have no access to. Before I share my takeaways from the detailed presser beamed live from the Deputy President’s official residence in Karen, let me appreciate his political ingenuity to pre-empt efforts to control the narratives around which the allegations are constructed. At least, as a public, we have a better grasp of who Rigathi Gachagua, the “truthful man” is. That was a digression. Back to my takeaways.

First, the Kenya Kwanza top CEOs know how deeply corruption is rooted in the government structures and systems. The shadowy corrupt individuals siphoning public funds are known and have names. A country with so many resources is struggling to hire intern teachers, medical interns, pay fees or significantly subsidise education, among others, is watching as a few individuals are running public funds dry. It is easy to go for small fish but the unscrupulous people running down our dispensaries are protected to enjoy the loot. Abducting and beating up Morara Kebaso is a soft target and a cover-up of the real beneficiaries of the grand and systemic corruption. Listening to the Deputy President defend himself in the court of public opinion, shows that our economic problems are hatched and nurtured by powerful people in the country. This is not charitable at all.

Second, the unfortunate abductions are well known to the State. On this, the Deputy President hammered it home. It is illegal, inhuman and contrary to local and international laws to abduct people. It is not forgotten that the courts directed that arrests must be done by law enforcers who fully identify themselves. The revelation raises serious doubts on who exactly is behind the abduction, unlawful arrests and harassment of citizens whose crime is merely to demand accountability and transparency.