Speaking in an interview with Citizen TV, Ichung’wah accused the former second-in-command of attempting to intimidate MPs and “blackmail” his then boss, President William Ruto, at the height of tensions within government.
Ichung’wah claimed that when Gachagua was deputy president, he visited him at his official residence in Karen, where he raised concerns over what he described as threats against lawmakers from the Mount Kenya region.
“When he was deputy president… when he tried to blackmail the president, threaten all members of parliament… I went to his house in Karen, the official residence,” Ichung’wah said.
“I told him, Mr Deputy President, you know me… You know Uhuru Kenyatta as president could not intimidate me or blackmail me to support his cause. You are the deputy president today,” he added.
Ichung’wah said he warned Gachagua he would not be intimidated, claiming the former DP had sought to rally support among MPs through threats.
“If you intimidate all these people… all these members of parliament from Mount Kenya… look at me straight in my eyes and know I will be the last person you will intimidate,” he said. “I will be the last person you’ll be able to blackmail.”
He further alleged that after Gachagua addressed meetings in Nanyuki, he confronted him and urged him to pursue dialogue rather than threats.
“I told him… build relationships. Don’t blackmail. Don’t threaten,” Ichung’wah said, adding that he encouraged Gachagua to “just sit down with the president”.
The Kikuyu legislator also made claims about confidential expenditure, alleging that Gachagua sought his support to access additional confidential spending.
“He had called me to Karen… to try and persuade me that he can get access to additional confidential expenditure to hit a billion shillings… from the 700 million that he had in his office,” he said, claiming the plan was to pursue the funds under Article 223 of the Constitution.
Ichung’wah said he declined, stating he had previously supported restrictions on such expenditure when he chaired the Budget and Appropriations Committee.
“I told him… I will not allow it in parliament because it is wrong,” he said. “Our numbers are not to abuse, to do what is not right.”
Ichung’wah further claimed that at the time, Gachagua was under pressure to settle bills, including what he described as payments linked to hotels he had acquired.
