Gachagua impeachment: Backlash as Ruto told to exit with DP

Friday, the day that had been set aside for nationwide public participation over whether or not Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua should be impeached, turned out to be a referendum for the entire Kenya Kwanza administration.

In what played out as an impromptu referendum on the President William Ruto-led administration, Kenyans who gathered at the various designated facilities across the 290 constituencies shifted the focus of yesterday’s engagement.  They directed their fury towards the performance of the Kenya Kwanza’s administration where citizens called for the exit from office of both President William Ruto and his Deputy.

As chaos reigned in parts of the country where residents tore the forms and barred some leaders from speaking, Members of Parliament who were supposed to drive the process were conspicuously absent.

At the same time, the clerk of the National Assembly Samuel Njoroge yesterday communicated that the public participation exercise would extend to today between 8am and 5pm.

"Members of the public may submit their views to the special motion to the aforesaid respective constituency/ county women representative offices for onward transmission to the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly," stated Njoroge in the letter dated October 4, 2024.

The communication was done through a notice circulated on social media, unlike the previous announcements which had been advertised in local dailies, inviting Kenyans to submit their views at constituency and county levels. 

In Nairobi, the Bomas of Kenya, while packed to the rafters, mirrored divergent views and even bore witness to chaos that erupted during the charged proceedings.

“When Gachagua goes home, then Ruto must go as well because they were elected on one ticket. We as Gen Z youth want to assure the President that once Gachagua is impeached, he will be next in line to go home,” said Brian Akteli, a law student.

“Ruto has always been a promising man but never fulfils his pledges. Instead of focusing on issues such as service delivery and the fight against corruption, he is busy focusing on Gachagua’s impeachment and not issues such as addressing the flawed university funding model,” he added when probed on what would serve as sufficient grounds for the duo to vacate office.  

Simon Mwaniki also held similar sentiments, noting that the ouster motion was ill-timed and had put the country on edge.

“Gachagua is being accused of being tribal but if you look at almost all the parastatals in the country, they are led by someone from the President’s community. If there has to be a change in government, then both the President and his Deputy must vacate office and elections held to usher in a new government,” opined Mwaniki.

Esther Waringa, founder of the Public Service Governance forum, criticized the Kenya Kwanza administration, wondering why it had not focused its energies towards addressing the current university lecturer’s strike, mending the flaws in the newly launched Social Health Insurance Fund, stopping the controversial “sale” of JKIA and ensuring junior secondary school teachers are employed on permanent and pensionable terms.

“In Kenya, we have been thinking, eating and drinking politics but at a time has come that we focus on the development of our country. There has to be a paradigm shift from this political mindset. What is ailing Kenyans is not about the Deputy President but many other challenges that should be addressed,” she said.

On the flip side, a section of the participants threw their weight behind the motion to impeach Gachagua.

“We voted in Gachagua knowing that he represents the entire country but he has stuck to only advocating for issues to do with the mountain region such as coffee and tea. He must also advocate for other issues facing other regions of the country such as sugarcane farming, dairy farming and the business around the sale of hides and skins. He must learn to carry the cross of every Kenyan,” said a Karen ward resident who identified himself only as Mr Mio.

Activist Kasmuel McOure lauded the push by Parliament to impeach DP Gachagua saying that it was doing the right thing.

"We have disagreed with Parliament many times but a broken clock is right at least twice a day. We want them to ensure that we tell any person who wants to foster tribalism in this country that they must go. Gachagua must go,” said McOure amid cheers from the crowd.

"But in the same breadth, they must also look into and rectify issues to do with social health and education funding,” he added.

Chaos also momentarily erupted after lawyer and activist Morara Kebaso was attacked and forced to flee Bomas of Kenya.  Morara, who is an outspoken critic of the Kenya Kwanza administration, met his oppressors when he tried to access the podium and address the crowd.  Chairs were hurled at him as jeers echoed through the auditorium and ultimately, he fled for his life albeit having sustained injuries.

“I was barred from entering Bomas at the gate. When I finally got in, I was denied the mic at Bomas floor. Chaos erupted. I am hurt. Headed to hospital. I live to speak another day,” he confirmed on X.

When it was the leaders' turn to speak, Dagoretti South MP John Kiarie mockingly called for the classification of Nairobi as region to ensure it benefits from State goodies similar to other regions such as the Western, Eastern and Mt Kenyan regions.

“If there is anyone who is going to impede the way we think in this city, look for money or make plans by bringing issues of tribalism then I have heard you that you have said no,” said Kiarie.

 “Today was about the impeachment of Gachagua and tomorrow it’s going to be the recall of an MP. These are provisions in the Constitution and that is why they have been invoked. Another day it is going to be about the impeachment of the President but for today it was about Gachagua,” Mathare MP Anthony Oluoch said.

Other leaders present Were Ruaraka MP TJ Kajuang, Kibra MP Peter Orero, Embakasi West MP Mark Mwenje, Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi and Makadara MP George Aladwa.