National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah has dismissed Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s recent press conference as an attempt to sway public opinion, calling it a “belated public playing to the gallery gimmick.” Gachagua held a two-hour press conference at his official residence in Karen on Monday night to defend himself against the impeachment motion brought against him by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse.
The DP faces several charges, including inciting hatred, undermining President William Ruto and the Cabinet, bullying, gross misconduct, and corruption. During his address, Gachagua labeled the impeachment motion as a fabrication, dismissed the allegations, and sought to defend himself, even delving into personal details such as his late brother James Nderitu Gachagua, who died in 2017, suggesting he inherited some of the property in question.
Ichung’wah, speaking in an interview shortly after the press conference, characterized Gachagua’s defense as a strategy to win sympathy through media appeal rather than addressing the substantive issues of the impeachment motion. He suggested that the DP had repeatedly invoked his late brother to sway public opinion, likening the press conference to Gachagua’s earlier plea for forgiveness during a church service.
Ichung’wah emphasized that the MPs considering the impeachment motion would not be influenced by Gachagua’s emotional appeals. He reaffirmed that the grounds for the impeachment are credible and that MPs would evaluate the motion on its merits.
Despite the mounting pressure, Gachagua remained defiant, asserting that there was no constitutional violation or gross misconduct on his part. He also rejected calls for his resignation, stating that he was elected by 7.2 million Kenyans and had no intention of stepping down without public input. Gachagua expressed confidence in his innocence and vowed to continue fighting the impeachment bid, claiming that he had done nothing wrong to the Kenyan people.
