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| Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua |
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has dared those plotting his ouster, including President William Ruto, to try. Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua warned that his ouster would be the end of the UDA party. Photo: Rigathi Gachagua. Source: Twitter In another demonstration of the deteriorating relationship with his boss, Ruto, Gachagua maintained that his position was earned through the people’s mandate. During a recent rally, Gachagua addressed growing calls for his impeachment and insisted that the power to remove him from office does not lie with any single individual.
“So, MPs are trying to intimidate me, saying they will fire me… eeh. They are trying to sell me fear. Aren’t they trying to sell me fear, “Gachagua told a jubilant crowd. He highlighted that the UDA government was a joint effort, stating that they worked tirelessly to form the current administration. Gachagua made it clear that his position was a result of the voters’ choice, not an appointment by Ruto. “I’m telling them this: We worked hard to get this government. And our UDA party has both the President and the Deputy President; and we were all elected on the same ticket. It wasn’t the President who gave me this job, it was you… wasn’t it? Was it you or not,” he asked, receiving cheers.
What will happen if Gachagua is ousted The DP further cautioned Ruto against any internal moves that could destabilise the party, reminding him that they came into power together. Gachagua stated that there is a possibility the ruling party would disintegrate in the event he is removed from his position. He appealed to Ruto to let him complete the remaining three years in office and make an informed decision after that. “We are saying, if you don’t want Rigathi Gachagua, won’t this UDA party fall apart? Will it or won’t it? I’m asking those planning schemes out there. Our President, I’m asking you, don’t destroy this government, we came into this government together. Let’s move forward together. Let’s work for the remaining three years, and if there are other issues, you can decide later. But for now, I was given the votes by the people of Kenya. Isn’t that so?”
Gachagua added. Why Gachagua is angry at Ruto Earlier, the deputy president decried being despised by Cabinet secretaries and other juniors who have exploded into an- all-out war against him. He seemed to lay the blame on Ruto, implying that the latter had stepped back to see him face trouble. In an appeal to the president, Gachagua reminded him of the vow he made when they got into office after the 2022 vote. He recalled that Ruto promised not to allow denigration on him, as was the case during former president Uhuru Kenyatta’s tenure when the current president was humiliated.
by Didacus Malowa