Gachagua on the warpath, takes the impeachment debate to public opinion court

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua addressing Catholic faithful during church service and a fundraiser at Sacred Heart Endarasha Catholic Church in Kieni, Nyeri County on May 19, 2024. [DPCS]

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua was on Friday on the warpath as he blasted his persecutors whom he accused of plotting to impeach him.

Gachagua, who came out with guns blazing directed at MPs who he claimed were being bribed in city hotels to impeach him also appeared to be on a mission to reclaim the city whose petty traders are being thrust out of the CBD to Kangundo Road. 

For quite some time, President William Ruto and Gachagua have been engaged in guerrilla-like warfare, but yesterday, he came out openly marking the beginning of a new era as his allies went bare knuckle in their attacks.

Gachagua decided to take the impeachment debate to the court of public opinion where he accused unnamed top government officials of bankrolling a section of MPs to impeach so that they could plant a stooge to replace him

While Gachagua was hesitant to name the people behind his woes, his allies were not. They accused Ruto of bankrolling some MPs led by the National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichungwa to undermine the deputy president. They warned the President that ‘he is on an elusive path.

Yesterday, Gachagua toured several markets in Nairobi which included Marikiti, Gikomba, Muthurwa, Nyamakima as well as OTC and Tea Room matatu termini in a bid to ‘report his aggressors’ to the electorate.

“They are mobilizing MPs and bribing them to intimidate me. I was elected by Kenyans and it is only Kenyans who will remove me from my position when the right time comes,” he thundered.

He was referring to an incident where about 48 MPs met in Nyahururu and named Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki as their go-to person whenever they wanted to lobby for development projects from President Ruto. A section of Mt Kenya East Mps, Nchuri Ncheke elders and a faction of MCA from Mt Kenya region had also endorsed Kindki as their spokesperson.

“They are mobilizing MPs and bribing them to intimidate me. I was elected by Kenyans and it is only Kenyans who will remove me from my position when the right time comes,” Gachagua said.

He announced plans to crisscross the country conducting public participation in the perceived impeachment motion asking whether they were in support of his critic's motives.

"I will traverse the whole country to collect the views of the people who voted for me and the President. We will do a public participation about this plot to impeach me. We will tell them the truth including the perpetrators of this plan, the conversation must continue," he stated. 

He added: "And from tomorrow going forward, we will make visits across the country to tell Kenyans how they (plotters) want to oust their chosen leader using a few paid individuals."  

Gachagua said he was not afraid of the impeachment threat and neither would he back down from pushing for the implementation of the promises that were made to Kenyans during the electioneering period.

“The politics they want to introduce will destroy our country. The ordinary Kenyans should be given the space, they elected their representatives and will go back to the ballot after five years. This is the time to work, it is not the time to plan politics while seated in hotels. If you want to fight Gachagua go directly to Kenyans and explain to the people why you have issues with me,” he said.

He noted that while his critics wanted him to fail in his mandate, they were only exposing the ordinary Kenyans to the vagaries of alcohol and drug abuse and that coffee, tea and milk farmers were the ones who stood to lose.

 “The politics they want to introduce will destroy our country. The ordinary Kenyans should be given the space, they elected their representatives and will go back to the ballot after five years. This is time to work, it is not the time to plan politics while seated in hotels, if you want to fight Gachagua go directly to Kenyans and explain to the people why you have issues with me,” he said.

His allies questioned why the President continued to remain mum even as his ‘attack dogs’ hurled insults at Gachagua in his presence wanting the Head of State to state whether he was the one directing his allies to hit at Gachagua.

Embakasi Central Mp Benjamin Gathiru alias Major Donk said National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichungwa was the leader of government business and there was a need for the President to come clean whether it was also Ichungwa’s business to undermine Gachagua.

“He is supposed to lead the government business on the floor of the National Assembly but he has been hurling insults at Gachagua. We know he is just an attack dog but we want to tell the dog’s owner that he is on an elusive path,” the MP said.

 Embakasi North MP James Gakuya said Ruto was undermining Gachagua after he got a ‘new wife’ referring to the working arrangement between the President and Azimio leader Raila Odinga that gave rise to the broad-based government.

“If Ruto was not satisfied with Gachagua when he picked him as his running mate, he must forget the idea of replacing him in the middle of his tenure. If he is tired of the Mt Kenya region vote because of his new wife, he should continue planning with him ahead of 2027 and let us be,” he said.

He added ‘Ruto can’t purport to stop us from playing the 2027 politics because he is right at the center of politics. He should lead by example and desist from plotting for the 2027 general elections and that is the only time we shall stop.

The MP added, "Ruto has offended us and we know that he wants us to lead us into a ditch but we shall desist. You want to divide the mountain, you have taken a section of MPs to your State House, but remember votes are in the ground and not with those people.”

Kiambu Senator Karungo Thangwa said, “It is a moment to interrogate each other and ask questions.  Leave Gachagua alone, he has public support. We are not afraid, they can arrest us if they want but we will stand with one of our own,"

The DP made his first stop at Wakulima (Marikiti) market where he addressed a charged crowd which seemed agitated following attempts by the county government to relocate them to Kangundo market. 

Thereafter, his convoy was stoned by some hecklers at the Haile Selassie-Jogoo road roundabout as he moved Muthurwa market where he reiterated that he is unmoved, in attempt to woo public support. 

He then visited Gikomba, OTC and Nyamakima where he reiterated that his intimidations have nothing to do with competence but are politically instigated by people who are uncomfortable with his stand on fighting for the people. 

 "I am being humiliated and labelled as tribalist for standing with the people," Gachagua said, claiming that he is being silenced because his tribe is a majority.  He was referring to comments made by President Ruto and the Nairobi governor last week.

The two had chided leaders who were opposed to the removal of traders from Wakulima Market by the county government, dismissing them as tribalists as they insisted that the city was cosmopolitan and every Kenyan had a right to be there.

Gachagua had told Sakaja to listen to the traders, reminding him that during the elections, the DP had campaigned for the governor and convinced traders to vote for the UDA candidate.