How volatile city politics aided Rigathi Gachagua's downfall

When former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua was comforted by his wife Pastor Dorcas after being discharged from Karen hospital where he had been admitted after falling ill during his impeachment hearing at the Senate on October 20, 2024. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

When 2024 began, no one could have predicted that Rigathi Gachagua would be celebrating Christmas and the New Year as a former deputy president.

His relationship with President William Ruto seemed flawless, with the Head of State having vowed that no future deputy president would endure what he had during retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s tenure.

However, the historic impeachment and subsequent removal of Gachagua, which began as a rumour, soon became a major debate in the National Assembly. The MPs voted for his ouster, and the matter was sealed by the Senate.

Once the impeachment process concluded and the court halted Gachagua’s efforts to remain in office, former Interior CS Kithure Kindiki was sworn in as the third Deputy President since the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution.

Gachagua faced several accusations, including gross violations of the Constitution, unlawfully acquiring assets, and gross misconduct, among others, in a motion moved by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse.

At the time, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja’s name was mentioned among the witnesses supporting Gachagua’s removal.

Even so, on the day he was supposed to give evidence, the county boss was reported to have been out of the country.

Wakulima market

Gachagua was also accused of meddling in Nairobi’s affairs and undermining Sakaja’s administration on multiple occasions.

In an affidavit, some of the accusations raised by the governor against the former deputy president included his conflicting remarks about relocating Wakulima market traders to Outering Road, which has yet to happen.

Sakaja described Gachagua’s remarks concerning Wakulima market as reckless disregard for the high calling and dignified status of the deputy president's office.

He added that Gachagua had unlawfully interfered with the running of the county by holding a rally and inciting citizens against lawful directives related to the planning and management of the markets.

When the former deputy president visited Wakulima market on 20 September 2024 to address traders who the county had instructed to vacate, Gachagua reminded Sakaja to honour his promise of allowing traders to conduct their business without disrespect.

“Many have seen their children go to school because of work in this market, which has existed for the last 30 years,” he said, questioning why the governor only noticed congestion in the city after his election.

“This is the time to serve the Kenyan people, not indulge in politics. Let respect prevail. Let them know that if they insult me, they also insult the voters,” Gachagua said.

Political gimmicks

He added that anyone seeking support from the citizens should always be ready to support them in return.

Traders at Wakulima market move on with their businesses. Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja described Gachagua’s remarks concerning Wakulima market as a reckless disregard for the high calling and dignified status of the office of the deputy president. [File, Standard]

In response, Sakaja dismissed Gachagua’s remarks as political gimmicks and falsehoods aimed at inciting traders.

He further stated that the county has no plans to relocate the Marikiti (Wakulima) market and that elected produce will instead be delivered wholesale to other markets built using taxpayers’ money.

Truthful man

Long before the impeachment, the strained relationship between Sakaja and Gachagua had been playing out for over a year, ever since the governor’s failed attempt to relocate matatus from the city centre to the Green Park terminus.

Even so, their rivalry dates back to 2023 when the governor made an unsuccessful attempt to relocate matatu operators from the city centre to the multi-million-shilling Green Park, constructed by the defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services.

This was the first time the Deputy President seemed to have won round one of the rivalry, shifting focus to the county’s relocation of hawkers from the city centre.

The former DP then hit out at the county boss, urging him to leave the hawkers alone and embrace them as he had during the campaign period.

“Those who are rich were against us, but the hustlers stood with us. That is why we ask the governors to respect those hustlers; they were responsible for the positions we hold today,” the DP stated.

In March 2024, Gachagua claimed the county boss reached out to him for support over some county issues.

“I had a long conversation with the Governor on Sunday night and I told him the concerns of the leaders of Nairobi,” the Deputy President said in a video shared on X.

“Since I am a truthful man, I told him that the concerns with the leaders of Nairobi and his electorate not feeling part of his administration were valid. The beauty of it is that he also conceded and acknowledged that there is a disconnect.”

However, the governor refuted the claims, stating that the conversation he had with the Deputy President was more about party structures in the city and UDA party elections, not about City Hall politics.

A month later, the former DP promised that the national government would step in to rescue Nairobi County, suggesting that many things were not running smoothly in the city.

“The President and I will ensure that city issues are in order. From now, you will be seeing us regularly. We are going to take a keen interest in the welfare of this city.”

The former DP emphasised that Nairobi is an important hub that cannot be ignored, underscoring the need to restore the city’s former glory.

“We are going to do this not because we are voters here, but because we are stakeholders here. Our children were born here, they were raised here, and our wealth is here in the city,” he said.