Ever since the impeachment of Deputy President (former) Rigathi Gachagua started, the Kenyan political scene has been lively, and politics has been sweet—sweeter than what Radio Maisha sports presenter Stephen Mukangai usually says is the sweetest thing in the whole world, followed by football. If you know, you know.
Yesterday, the embattled Deputy President was discharged from Karen Hospital, where he had been admitted on the very day he was supposed to appear before the Senate for cross-examination on the charges leading to his impeachment.
He said Dr Gikonyo, who has been his doctor for the past 20 years, told him that if only he had delayed for another twenty minutes, maybe this could have been one of the longest weekends in the country’s history, with Mashujaa Day and a state burial in line. But who knows if he would have even been accorded a state burial under President William Ruto, whom he now refers to as “vicious?”
> MP Revealed President Ruto Supports Impeachment of His Deputy Gachagua
I am not being insensitive. Gachagua himself told journalists yesterday that, long before his impeachment process began, the President had tried to kill him twice. “Undercover police accessed my room on August 30, but we detected it. Again, on September 3, while in Nyeri, there was an attempt to poison me,” Gachagua claimed.
“For the last one year, it has been very difficult for me, but I am a very persevering and enduring man,” he added.
The embattled DP, insisting that he is not yet the former Deputy President because the courts still have to determine the active case concerning his impeachment—having barred the swearing-in of Prof Kithure Kindiki as the new DP after his nomination by the President to replace him—revealed that by Sunday, when he was being discharged from the hospital, the government had already withdrawn his security detail and recalled the state vehicles he used.
Adding to the political drama, Gachagua stated that during Mashujaa Day celebrations in Kwale, private helicopter owners at Wilson Airport were reportedly instructed not to fly him there. Consequently, he had to return home in his private Toyota RAV4, driven by his son.
Why we can say Gachagua’s statements might be partly true
During his interview with reporters, while maintaining his stance of being a truthful man, Gachagua said he believes he is being hounded by President William Ruto for telling him the truth.
“This is the most unfortunate thing that has ever happened in this country—that you can be so vicious to a man who helped you become president,” said the troubled DP, pausing before continuing. “And the crime of this man? Telling you the truth. ‘Don’t evict people without compensation, Mr. President. Mr. President, don’t overtax people; you are killing them, you are killing their businesses. Don’t force the housing program on the people. If people don’t want these houses, don’t force them.'”
“My only problem with the President is just being truthful because nobody else can tell him.”
Taking this into account and assuming that President William Ruto is hard to work with, as admitted by nominated Member of Parliament Sabina Chege, who faulted him for what she calls doing everything instead of delegating duties and making all decisions in the government, let’s take a look at what Oscar Sudi said one day before Gachagua was released from the hospital:
A day before the DP left Karen Hospital, Sudi, the Kapseret MP and a very close confidant of President Ruto, was in Meru for a dowry payment ceremony, traditionally referred to as “ruracio” in Agikuyu culture. Invited to speak, he offered this advice:
“I have two things to tell you, Macharia (the fiancé, who works for Sudi), and your wife. Marriage has a lot of challenges, but the most important thing that will keep it alive is respect. When you respect each other, things become easy,” said the MP.
“Every household with a husband and wife is like the government. Respect is what will keep you in government if you are in government. Macharia, you are like the president, and your wife is like the deputy.
“So, deputy, don’t be a know-it-all to the president, or things will boil over. Everybody should know their rightful place,” he advised.
“You saw what went down in Nairobi some days back (referring to Gachagua’s impeachment). It was because of issues like that. When Macharia is leading the way, don’t be a know-all and walk too closely behind him. He is the leader, and you should give him his space,” the MP told the bride-to-be, subtly hinting at the tension between the President and Gachagua.
In summary, Gachagua’s claims of being sidelined appear to align with his recent experience, including the withdrawal of state privileges and subtle warnings from allies of the President like Sudi. His outspoken nature and the President’s reputed intolerance for dissent likely contributed to his ousting.
Lastly, it is still not clear what MP Otiende Amollo meant by saying that Gachagua’s impeachment was an act of saving him from himself. Furthermore, Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja’s remarks that when a manager dislikes you, there’s little you can do because if you go back to work, you can even find the doors to your office locked adds to the uncertainty.
