Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is crying foul over claims that police officers have gone for his staff and key allies over links to the June 25, 2024, Gen Z-led protests that saw parliament invaded.

Taking to his official social media accounts on Thursday, September 26, 2024, Gachagua expressed his disappointment, stating that the country is back to using the criminal justice system to manage politics.

The DP stated that he was embarrassed that despite President William Ruto assuring Kenyans that the National Police Service would never be used to settle political scores when he assumed office, the criminal justice system is being called upon to help in the management of politics.

“The use of the criminal justice system to manage politics is an outdated political strategy that was used in the past. President William Ruto and I, on assuming Office, gave an undertaking to the people of Kenya that never again shall the criminal justice system be called upon to help in the management of politics,” DP Gachagua stated.

Harassment of Gachagua’s staff

He went ahead to claim that members of his staff and close allies have been undergoing harassment for the past two months.

According to Gachagua, there is a scheme to prefer trumped-up charges against three members of his staff and members of parliament allied to him.

Gachagua mentioned MPs for Embakasi North James Gakuya and his Embakasi Central counterpart Benjamin Gathiru MejjaDonk as the lawmakers that have been targeted.

“I am embarrassed that we are back to where we were. Harassment of my office staff and members of parliament perceived to be close to me, has been going on for the last two months. I have learnt of a scheme to prefer trumped-up charges against three members of my staff and the MPs for Embakasi North Hon James Gakuya and Embakasi Central Hon Benjamin Gathiru MejjaDonk,” Gachagua said.

Ground for Gachagua’s impeachment

The second in command goes ahead to state that the scheme is calculated to link his staff and allies to the June 25 demos that saw the parliament invaded, in what he has termed as a futile attempt to soil their name and create ground for his looming impeachment.

“This evil scheme is to associate them with violent demonstrations that took place in late June, in a futile attempt to soil my name and hopefully create grounds for the mooted impeachment proceedings against me. Kenyans are intelligent people,” Gachagua stated.

“They know what factors made Kenyans take to the streets. Kenyans also know what the real problems in Kenya are. They surely know Rigathi is not among them. Let our agencies remain professional, follow the rule of law and keep off politics.”

The use of the criminal justice system to manage politics is an outdated political strategy that was used in the past.

— H.E. Rigathi Gachagua, EGH (@rigathi) September 26, 2024

Gachagua’s impeachment

According to media reports, MPs pushing for the impeachment of DP Gachagua were set to meet on Wednesday, September 25, night to firm up a strategy to kick him out in the shortest time possible.

According to the law, a motion seeking to impeach the Deputy President must garner the support of at least one-third of the total membership of the National Assembly before it is tabled in the House.
But the mover will require at least two-thirds of the MPs to impeach the DP.

At the weekend, Gachagua’s allies had claimed the motion would be tabled in the National Assembly this week by two MPs allied to opposition leader Raila Odinga, Opondo Kaluma (Homa Bay Town) and Junet Mohammed (Suna East).

They claimed that the impeachment motion is in its final drafting stage and will be tabled by a parliamentarian from the opposition side.

Former United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary General Cleophas Malala cautioned that the ouster of Gachagua will also affect the re-election of Ruto and urged him to block the process.