How abrasive Gachagua courted trouble from day one

As impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua fights for his political career, some leaders and experts blame him for his woes.

They believe, should the near-impossible happens and Gachagua finds his way back to power through his legal bids, he would have to change his character to survive the political demands of an office some believe he took for granted.

And his stint provides his designated replacement Prof Kithure Kindiki a tough job of restoring the confidence of the office.

When he walked into office in 2022, some say Gachagua would have used the position to build bridges across the country and consolidate his influence.

But, taking from where Kenya Kwanza had left during campaigns, Gachagua upped his bare-knuckle attacks on those he perceived as the government’s adversaries while also championing the politics of exclusion.

He chided regions that voted for the Azimio candidate Raila Odinga, reminding them that the Kenya Kwanza administration had its shareholders who would come first in appointments and development priority.

In the wake of the spirited opposition-led protests against the government, Gachagua was one of the key hardliners who rejected attempts to push the feuding sides to a dialogue table.

“The dialogue with the Opposition did not include him because he was against any efforts to enter into an agreement with the opposition at the time,” says a senior UDA official.

Analysts believe his tongue spitted venom of disunity that cheapened the status of the office while also fanning divisions.

“Exclusionary politics are always bad and a recipe to national political disasters. There’s no right way of doing a bad thing,” says Politics and international relations expert Barrack Muluka.

He thinks Gachagua failed when he made the Mt Kenya region feel they were not part of the union and made Kenyans feel that he was only interested in his backyard.

“He failed. So, the ordinary Kikuyu populace is shedding tears for him. The political class from the community, however, is allegiant to President Ruto, who made them who they are, after sidelining more seasoned Kikuyu politicians,” argues Dr Muluka.

Gitile Naituli, a professor of management and leadership, contends that even though the people from the mountain might be suffering in silence, others celebrated when Gachagua was impeached.

“Those in central Kenya are very educated and they know how to take revenge. They clearly know who the enemy is and the day of reckoning will be in three-year’s time,” he says.

Prof Naituli notes that the impeachment process was humiliating and shameful and it opened the eyes of even those who do not like Gachagua.

Some leaders in the Mt Kenya East region are already looking forward have Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki sworn in as Gachagua’s successor.

“We are leaving the politics of tribalism and shareholding behind,” says Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki.

Kilifi North MP and Deputy Majority Leader National assembly, Owen Baya, and Taita Taveta Senator Jones Mwaruma said Gachagua was his own enemy.

“He messed up publicly, showing lack of public decorum in his utterances. It was necessary for him to exit for Kenya to be united. We cannot have leaders who move around the country dividing Kenyans on tribal lines,” he says.

Ugenya MP David Ochieng’ and his Nyatike countepart Tom Odege believe the impeachment is a step to the right direction in the quest to ending exclusionary politics and that it should send a strong warning.

“Article 10 of the Constitution is the software of our country, the heartbeat of the nation. Kenyans, all Kenyans must breathe life into Article 10 of our Constitution. All leaders, public servants and political parties must also align accordingly.”

Political analyst Mark Bichachi notes that the Gachagua’s impeachment has clearly shown that the country is deeply ethnic.

According to him, the impeached Deputy President has drawn sympathy mostly from Central Kenya while the rest of the country seems unaffected by his fate, with many remembering his “shareholders” remarks.

“This is a good thing. Leaders should be he held to unquestionable ethical standards. We can only pray that the same standard is used for all leaders regardless of position and tribe.”