National Assembly Majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah has subtly teased Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua after claims that he was removed from President William Ruto’s WhatsApp group diary.
Speaking on Saturday, September 21, 2024, Ichung’wah while marketing the Chepsaita Marathon scheduled for December this year, urged all Kenyans including the DP who was lamenting about his removal from the group, to join the Chepsaita Marathon group which he says is free of tribalism and inequality.
Without mentioning names, Ichung’wah called on leaders to stop promoting divisive politics through tribal takes that are likely to raise conflict.
“Kuna watu wanalia, wametolewa kwa WhatsApp group, sisi wote sasa tuko kwa WhatsApp group ya Chepsaita Marathon ya tarehe saba December. Kwa hivyo niwaulize wale wote ata wale wanalia wametolewa wakubali sisi wote tujumuike kwa Chepsaita Marathon WhatsApp group tuingie hapo tuje tukimbie pamoja, tuache siasa za ukabila, uchochezi na kuwagawanisha wakenya kwa misingi ya ukabila. Hii mbio haina kabila, dini, umri, rangi, WhatsApp group ya Chepsaita iko open hakuna mtu atatolewa pia ya broad based government iko open hakuna mtu atatolewa,” the Kikuyu Member of Parliament (MP) said.
Ichung’wah’s remarks come hours after DP Gachagua lamented being removed from the group, a move that made it difficult for him to do his job efficiently. He particularly stated that he was missing out on important presidential events because he lacked information on them.
He, however, explained that he would find time to speak with the president on the issue.
“I always align my diary with that of the President, all the time, and as long as I’m aware of that function, I align accordingly. Sometimes if I’m not aware, I’m unable to align because I also have my programme,” he said on Friday.
“We have a WhatsApp group diary for the President where I’m there; my Chief of Staff is there, and all his issues are there, so we align. About a week ago, we were removed from that diary, so we are not able to follow exactly what is going on, we are unable to align.”
The DP additionally pointed out that the move to remove him from the president’s diary was a plot to portray him as an ‘abscondee’. He noted that he previously had a seamless program that was intertwined with the president’s, this helped him attend all important events.
“Sometimes they want me to get late so that it appears disrespectful. I want to ask the people who work around the presidency not to create conflict between the president and me. I’m the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya elected by the people and the Principal Assistant.
“It is only right and fair that I have access to the Presidential Diary so that I align my diary with his diary because he is the boss, but if I’m in the dark and I don’t know what is happening, I’m not an angel to know where the president would be at what time, then it is not right,” he said.
Adding;
“In my view, I don’t think the president would be petty to ask someone to remove me from the diary, it is just some idlers around the president who want to create mischief, portray me as somebody who is disrespectful and somebody who absconds duty.”
