Kikuyu Member of Parliament (MP) Kimani Ichung’wah on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, delved deep into his beef with Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Speaking at a local radio station, the National Assembly Majority Leader accused the second in command of misusing his power to advance his vested interests.
Without mincing his words, Ichung’wah described his boss as a desperate and petty person who he insisted got drunk with power.
“The Deputy President we have is not facing anything (similar) to what the Deputy President of 2020-2021 faced. What I see is a Deputy President who is vindictive, desperate, petty, and grossly dangerous,” Ichung’wah stated.
Genesis of beef
According to the Majority Leader, the unease in their relationship commenced when DP Gachagua openly endorsed the one-man, one-shilling, one-vote agenda.
Ichung’wah argued that Gachagua bypassed all the protocols and started advancing his own agenda, which did not receive a nod from the cabinet. He further indicated Gachagua’s push for the one-man, one-shilling, one-vote agenda was a form of discrediting the Kenya Kwanza administration, yet he had access to other government officials with whom he could engage and raise his issue.
“We were told it is now time to have the one-man, one-shilling, one-vote agenda. And you remember me asking, under that executive order, number one, you have read, you’ve heard about intergovernmental relations work, IBEC chairing, cabinet subcommittees, something about the office of independent institutional commissions being vested under the office of the Deputy President.
“And I didn’t ask then, first in person, second in public, why are we now using this microphone to speak about a one-man, one-shilling, one-vote agenda, yet we have all the levers to implement the things we are talking about. If you wanted a change in revenue sharing, begin from the cabinet subcommittee, process it through that, and take it to the cabinet,” Ichung’wah stated.
By the time of this publication, Gachagua had not responded to Ichung’wah’s explosive interview.
Challenge to Ruto
His comments come days after he challenged President William Ruto to shake off the viper in his hand. He alluded to a Bible verse advicing the Head of State to institute hard and radical changes to his administration.
“Take heart. All the names you will be called, all the insults you will receive – just get this country to the shore safely.
“Don’t be afraid; shake off the snake. That viper on your hand, the viper, the snake in your government, please shake it off. Not for your own sake so that it doesn’t bite you. Shake it off so that your hand may do what the Lord purposed that hand to do,” he said.
Ruto, in his address, appealed to all leaders to drop the ongoing debate on 2027 succession politics and focus on service delivery.
Gachagua, on the other hand, remained bullish, vowing to continue advocating the issues of the mountain.
