Gachagua: From deputy to enigma, will impeachment define him?

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's career journey, both in the field he studied and in politics, has been unpredictable — a fact collaborated by his peers and former classmates.

On October 17 this year, Gachagua was impeached in an unprecedented move, making him the first deputy president in Kenya 's history to be impeached under the 2010 Constitution.

Despite having the option to resign and avoid the grueling process— one that cost him millions in legal fees and appeared to have a predetermined outcome due to MPs insistence on his removal — he vowed to stay put and confront his accusers head-on.

This, according to Gachagua’s classmates at the University of Nairobi (UoN), defines his character: confrontational, abrasive, a man who does not shy from a fight, and a straight shooter. These traits have worked both for and against him since he left the university in 1989.

No one captured Gachagua's personality better than his former classmate Ken Lusaka — now Bungoma Governor —  who studied alongside him at UoN, the Kenya Institute of administration and Embakasi Administration Police College.

Wafula Buke, a former political detainee and student leader during their time at UoN, attributes Gachagua’s rapid successes and losses to what he describes as  "dangerous cleverness" claiming it enables him to easily backstab others for personal gain.

According to Lusaka, Gachagua's public career has been marked by an unusual pattern: he has never fully completed a term in any public office. From District Officer (DO) to Deputy President (save for his time as an MP), something has always disrupted his trajectory.

“Gachagua was the 'Mr Fix it,' taking on tasks no other students would. He was the link between state operatives and student politics. Because of this, he always had money. He also had a quick tongue and could win debates, but he sometimes falls victim to the vagaries of politics and life,’ the governor said.

According to Lusaka, Gachagua was armed with his dangerous cleverness that saw him rise to the chairperson of the Nyeri student’s association at the university and always sought to be close to power for the benefit of his mountain stalk.

“His style was aggressive even at UoN. We graduated on the same day in 1989,  joined the Kenya Institute of Administration together, and later trained at the Embakasi Paramilitary College. Both of us excelled in the shooting competition. I was top in handling a G3 rifle, and he excelled with a pistol. He joked, “You see Ken, you have led in the arms of constables and servicemen, while I have led in the officers’ arms. So, I'm the boss.”

That was and is Gachagua - an aggressive one who verbalizes all that comes into his heart. "Our lecturer in one of the units, public administration at UoN, to be exact, Afrifa Gitonga, had taught us that “some truth is so ugly that you don’t have to talk about it,’ Lusaka added.

According to Vihiga Governor Ken Lusaka (right), Gachagua's public career has been marked by an unusual pattern: he has never fully completed a term in any public office. [File, Standard]

Buke on his part described Gachagua as a man whose victories even at UoN reduced some of his former classmates who were his rivals to their villages, others into exiles and others to the grave. He was more of a mole among student leaders and would be used by the state for own benefit.

He remembered how Gachagua had a cordial relationship with the then administration that ‘facilitated our demobilisation to various destinations, prison, exile and expulsion.’  

While Gachagua has in the past admitted to serving as a DO during Kanu rule, he has never explained why he never rose to the position of the District Commissioner (DC) and possibly to the rank of Provincial Commissioner (PC) especially because he was politically connected right from his college days.

After serving as DO only two other public engagement publicly known about him was his serving Kanu presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta in 2002 as a personal assistant. He resigned from the public service when Uhuru lost the elections to National Rainbow Alliance.

The other was when he served as personal assistant to Head of Civil Service Philip Mbithi in the 1990s and among his briefs was writing speeches for the President. It is perhaps the experience he got from working with Moi and Uhuru that he counted as attributes that would favour him as the best running mate for Ruto.

The 57-year old was to become one of Uhuru's harshest critics and fierce defender of his deputy William Ruto when Uhuru was serving his last term between 2017 and 2022, and had a fall out with his earlier ally.

Gachagua ended up being the most outspoken of the Tanga Tanga hawks (a wing of Jubilee MPs allied to the DP in Mt Kenya).

Due to his deep pockets and outbursts against the Uhuru administration, he earned himself a title of regional overseer of Ruto’s presidential campaign. 

His meteoric rise in politics also surprised his critics and supporters who could not imagine  a first term MP becoming the country’s second in command.

He successfully threw his hat in Mathira Parliamentary seat in 2017 under the Jubilee party where Uhuru was the party leader and Ruto the Deputy.

 At the time, little was known about him as he was not visible in national political discourses until 2018 when Ruto fell out with his boss after he (Uhuru) shook hands with Raila Odinga in what was christened as the handshake.

Gachagua would later be arrested multiple times on corruption charges which he said were politically motivated by the Uhuru administration due to his support for Ruto.

In one infamous moment in July 2021, police raided his rural home in Wamunyoro Mathira and Gachagua was allegedly dragged out of it, half naked in front of his wife and children.

He enhanced his visibility in vernacular political talk shows where he fiercely defended Ruto and accused Uhuru of betraying his deputy especially after the  yangu kumi ya Ruto kumi remark.

Working under the hustler versus dynasty narrative the Tanga Tanga hawks curved out an anti-establishment push which gave Gachagua a national profile causing him to become Kenya’s second in command.

Insiders claimed one of the reasons why Gachagua was picked to be Ruto’s running mate was his guts to take on his rivals especially the Kenyatta's.

"Having worked for Uhuru as personal assistant, Gachagua knew the Kenyatta's better than anyone else in the Ruto corner. He also had the balls to take on the outgoing president," said a UDA insider who requested not to be named.

But his naming as UDA presidential running mate came with its share of challenges dredging up the past unearthing some of his contributions that political players claimed were actions against human rights.

While Gachagua has in the past admitted to serving as a DO during Kanu rule, he has never explained why he never rose to the position of the District Commissioner (DC) and possibly to the rank of Provincial Commissioner (PC) especially because he was politically connected right from his college days.

There were incidents during his tenure as a DO in Limuru, when anti-riot police officers, during the height of the clamour for multi-partyism, stopped a Ford Asili delegation from touring Limuru. It was led by former Butere MP Martin Shikuku and area MP George Nyanja.

Old files on where he served as District Officer in Molo resurfaced, with videos of people claiming to  have been maimed during his tenure.

But a bullish Gachagua denied ever working in Molo. "Let them go and peruse the notice boards bearing the officers who have ever worked in the Molo office. I have never worked there," Gachagua said.

He defended whatever action he may have taken while he served as DO, maintaining that "I was working under government and I was a Yes Sir man and I can't carry the blame. Even Uhuru Kenyatta and Mwai Kibaki worked under Moi but they did not carry the burden of any misdeed," he said.

Another obstacle that he faced was the corruption cases that depicted him as a scandal-tainted politician against Raila’s running mate Martha Karua who presented herself as a leader who loathed corruption

But despite the challenges, the Ruto-Gachagua team carried the day.

Gachagua promised Ruto that he could be a yes-man and that he would fully support and complement his boss in  running the government. “I will be a Yes-man, the scenario of bad blood between (President) Uhuru (Kenyatta) and Ruto will not happen under my watch,” he said.

In contrast, Gachagua was accused of insubordination for failing to adhere to his assignment where the program of cleaning the Nairobi River was cited, among other accusations.

Kenya Kwanza luminaries claim Gachagua  bulldozed himself to be Ruto’s running mate after getting three votes out of 26. Deputy President Kithure Kindiki received the most votes of 21 when Ruto allies were voting to get his running mate in May 2022.

Former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo, who was present at the Official Deputy President’s residence in Karen where the exercise was conducted disclosed that majority of the leaders had preferred Kindiki and not Gachagua.

“Ruto’s choice was not a straightforward decision; many voted in favour of Kindiki but after further consultation, he said he wanted Gachagua,” Kabogo said.

Kabogo disclosed how the President conversed with him in regard to his choice for Gachagua saying; “William, you’ve been a governor, and you always wanted your own deputy. So, I want to be president—why can’t I have my own deputy, my own choice?”

When he finally settled on Gachagua he described him as loyal, prayerful and a leader concerned with the plight of Kenyans.

“Gachagua has a strong personality and I was looking for a strong man. I'm comfortable with him because Kenya needs such strong people who can tackle the challenges of our nation,” he said.

As Ruto was praising Gachagua, Kindiki called for a press briefing and announced a break from politics following Ruto’s decision to pick Gachagua over him. He was a no-show when Ruto was unveiling Gachagua as his running mate.

“My attempt at being nominated to ascend to a national elective leadership position having failed yesterday, I have taken a decision to take a break from elective politics starting 10th of August 2022,” said Kindiki.

 “I will use the break to reorganize myself as I continue to fully support my party UDA and Kenya Kwanza administration to deliver to Kenyans upon assuming office.”

He said for the remainder of the campaign period he will be available to offer his services “more robustly in the field and boardroom to ensure no votes that we (Kenya Kwanza) can mobilise remain out there.”

In what could explain Gachagua’s former students’ narrative, the former Deputy President's meteoric rise as espoused when he became Ruto’s running mate is as controversial as his removal from office.

Although Gachagua’s impeachment was successful, it whipped emotions from the populous Mt Kenya region to the extent that locals have been rejecting President Ruto’s overtures- his speeches and messages of condolences in funerals are booed.

His allies, especially the elected leaders who supported the impeachment have faced hostile reception from the very people who woke up early on August 9 2022 to vote him to beat President Uhuru Kenyatta’s sponsored candidates.

 While he has been able to consolidate his region, pundits believe that Gachagua’s sustenance on his onslaught against the Ruto administration could be a hard task for him even as those close to him maintain that the mood will continue up to 2027.

Even then, the question on where Gachagua will take his constituency in the 2027 general election has also emerged, especially if the impeachment process will not have been set aside by the courts.

The court ruled that impeached governors can’t contest for an elective office, a move that dealt former Governors Ferdinand Waititu (Kiambu) and Mike Sonko (Nairobi) a major blow in their quest to contest for political office.

The two were permanently barred from holding public office following their removal after losing their legal battles to overturn their impeachment or at least clear themselves of the charges, rendering them unfit to hold public office.

“Gachagua’s political future in the hands of judicial officers. If he will not be cleared then the public perception about his ability to negotiate and bargain on their behalf will drift.  If he convinces the courts to dismiss the impeachment, then he may become the new Raila, the enigma of Kenya’s politics,” Denzin Ngala, a political analyst noted.

But Charles Njoroge another political observer noted that regardless of whether Gachagua is cleared by the courts or not, he would still be a key determinant of the political direction of Mt Kenya region if he would sustain his popularity in his region.

“He could still become a Mulu Mutisya who despite being illiterate, political figures like President Daniel Moi, sought his support to access Ukambani region. Lack of education prevented Mutisya, who enjoyed huge support, from vying for presidency, likewise the impeachment may bar Gachagua from seeking the presidency but the presidential contenders will require his blessings,” Njoroge said.

Gachagua has made a promise for January, "I will tell you what we have agreed and it is good that I have said that my friend the President did well in bringing on this political fight with the people of the mountain. We have now known him."