Tana River Senator Danson Mungatana has come out to defend his censure motion against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua amidst the ongoing public uproar over the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) proposed takeover by Adani Group through a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement.

Senator Mungatana told a local TV station on Thursday, September 26, 2024, that he did not file a censure motion to divert the attention of Kenyans on the Adani deal.

Rather, the Tana River senator detailed that he was triggered to file a censure motion in the Senate to discuss Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s character after his tell-it-all interview where he lamented over a plot to impeach him and revealed that some close allies of his boss President William Ruto were working to sabotage him.

Mungatana explained that the interview did not portray DP Gachagua as a national leader who is supposed to explain various government projects and agendas but as an individual seeking to find a political survival option.

“After watching these things happen, I said that when I go back home, on Monday I am filing a censure motion. But we also watched the interview, it wasn’t a person who is a principal assistant to the president who was talking about the policies of the government.

“Truly and honestly speaking as Kenyans, something has gone off the road. The Gachagua off late is not the Gachagua we started with and this censure motion is simply saying let us go back to the line,” Mungatana explained.

Efforts to reach him

Mungatana further clarified that he had tried to reach out to the Deputy President over toning down his Mt Kenya political rhetoric to no avail.

He thus said that the plans to gag him on Mt Kenya politics had been building up over time.

“People have tried to approach the holder of the office of the deputy president currently saying they are uncomfortable,” Mungatana indicated.

In his censure motion, Mungatana stated that DP Gachagua had breached the law provisions on how he should conduct himself in office and administer his roles, accusing him of disregarding his oath of office.

“Article 260 of the constitution of Kenya categorizes the deputy president as a state officer whose conduct and behaviour shall abide by the provisions of article 75 of the constitution of Kenya and the general leadership and integrity code for state officers, contained in the leadership Act,” submitted Mungatana.

Mungatana noted that Gachagua, since assuming office, has made utterances that continue to create tensions and divisions among Kenyans.

“The public utterances made by Rigathi have marginalized sections of Kenyans, created and continue to heighten tension among different ethnic communities in Kenya,” he said.

Impeachment

The censure motion came after Gachagua confirmed a scheme to eject him from office through an impeachment. In an explosive interview, Gachagua indicated that some MPs convened in Kitisuru at a house of a Cabinet Secretary where the impeachment plan was hatched.

He further claimed that money had been poured to MPs to sign the impeachment motion.

However, on Sunday, September 22, 2024, Gachagua warned his boss arguing that Mt Kenya people hate betrayal and an impeachment would mean he has betrayed them.