Members of Parliament (MPs) pushing for the impeachment of Deputy Preisdent Rigathi Gachagua were set to meet last night to firm up a strategy to kick him out in the shortest time possible.
Sources told People Daily that last night’s meeting was a follow-up to another held on Tuesday night at Weston Hotel on Lang’ata road, Nairobi county, for long associated with the First Family.
“Yes, we met last night (Tuesday) and the agenda was on the DP’s removal from office. We are again meeting this evening to strike a consensus on the issue,” said a female legislator from the North Rift region.
The MP revealed that the meeting was exclusively for MPs from the Kalenjin Rift Valley who felt it was necessary to strike a consensus among themselves and consolidating their numbers before reaching out to like minded MPs from the other regions.
According to the MP, those in attendance were however split down the middle over the move to impeach Gachagua, with one side arguing that it could jeopardise President William Ruto’s 2027 relelection bid while the other group was adamant that the DP must be kicked out immediately.
Whipping emotions
“There are those of us who felt that impeaching him (Gachagua) at this point in time may backfire on the president come 2027 given the emotions he was whipping up in the Mt. Kenya region and the sympathy he appears to be gaining as a result,” said the MP.
Those who spoke strongly against the impeachment, People Daily learnt included Johanna Ng’eno (Emurua Dikirr), Musa Sirma (Eldama Ravine),Titus Lotee (Kacheliba) and Jackson Mandago (Uasin Gishu senator) all who were of the opinion that it was politically suicidal to antagonise the Mt Kenya region by kicking out the DP. They further argued that if not for the DP, Ruto would never have clinched the 2022 election.
“But there are those who insist that the time to kick him out is now, given that he has already insulted the president in public and therefore, their relationship has been irreparably broken and in any case, they say the numbers are there to force him out immediately. So the split is almost 50;50,” she went on.
Those in this camp included Oscar Sudi (Kapseret), Gladys Boss Shollei (Uasin Gishu), Julius Melly (Mosop) and Samson Cherarkey (Nandi Senator). Sudi in particular argued that the DP had shown great disrespect to the president and should be forced out immediately.
United position
It is as a result of the split that the MPs agreed to meet last night again to come up with a united position on the matter.
If consensus was reached, the MPs would then go ahead to come up with very compelling grounds to ensure the impeachment motion goes through once tabled in the National Assembly, “as soon as possible,” People Daily learnt.
According to the law, a motion seeking to impeach the Deputy President must garner the support of at least one third of the total memebership 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.
“The two MPs will start by impeaching your deputy but the same people will dethrone you come 2027. I beseech you to call your house to order and don’t punish Gachagua. He suffered a lot, he was detained, embarrassed before his children because of you. Don’t be inhuman,” pleaded Malala.
Speaking during a dedication service of PEFA Church Cathedral in Thika town, Gachagua cronies warned that expelling him will be detrimental to the social-economic and political stability of the country.
Gachagua allies present among them senators Karungo Thang’wa (Kiambu), Joe Nyutu (Murang’a), MPs Gathoni Wamuchomba (Githunguri), James Gakuya (Embakasi North), Mejja Donk (Embakasi Central), George Koimburi (Juja) and nominated MP Theresiah Wanjiru rallied Ruto against humiliating his deputy.
Political friction
They urged the Head of State to crack the whip and end the political friction with his deputy, noting that Gachagua’s loyalty to him has even seen the DP arrested. They went on to claim that Ruto will sponsor Gachagua’s impeachment motion and urged him to stop the scheme for the betterment of the country.
“Ruto is sending the motion to parliament as no MP has the capacity to. If you impeach your deputy today, no one will ever trust you,” said senator Thang’wa.
“Don’t entertain the impeachment thing as it will be detrimental to the economic stability of Kenya. As for Raila Odinga, you should be the last person to suggest such a process. Ask your troops in parliament to stop it,” said Nyutu.
The senators’ sentiments were echoed by Wamuchomba who warned Ruto that any schemes to dethrone his deputy would see Mt Kenya region revolt against him come 2027.
“We hate betrayal. The impeachment is being planned and those people who are being used to sign it are the same ones who insulted and humiliated you. My president, please remember. Kiambu county gave you 606,000 votes. Please respect those votes and let Gachagua do his job,” pleaded Gathoni.
When he rose to address adherents in the packed church, Gachagua revealed that he has been harassed, warning that the direction the Kenya Kwanza government has taken will irreparably crumble their house.
“To my boss, President William Ruto, be cautious and do the right thing. Let us not re-introduce the politics of the tribe. Our people hate betrayal and are very unforgiving when betrayed. That is my advice which must not be necessarily taken. Please let’s get back to work and fulfill the promises we made to Kenyans,” said Gachagua.
“I am comforted that the God who stood with Ruto when he was being humiliated is still alive,” he added. Those said to be the likely beneficiaries of Gachagua’s ouster include Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichungwa and Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro.
Sources within government revealed that Gachagua’s ouster is a matter of when and not if, with anti-DP Members of Parliament from his Mount Kenya region pushing President William Ruto to sanction the impeachment motion, which they want concluded by February next year.
Gachagua has publicly talked about the impending motion saying his enemies were pushing for the ouster motion so as to benefit from the confusion.
“The President is weighing options should he sanction the anti DP motion. Troops have been assigned to sell Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki as the best suited replacement,” said the source.
Already, Kindiki has been picked as the possible number two and state operatives have deployed all means to sell him as a better assistant to the president than the current holder.
Ichung’wah is being touted to replace Kindiki in the Interior docket, while Ndindi will be elevated to take over from the Kikuyu MP in the National Assembly leadership.
Also set to lose their positions are three MPs who chair committees in parliament, namely Senator Karungo Thang’wa who is the chairman of the Transport Committee at the Senator, James Gakuya who chair the Trade and Cooperatives and Gathoni Wamuchomba (Constitutional Implementation and Oversight Committee).
Ichung’wa has however dismissed the impeachment claims saying they were being perpetuated by the DP himself.
