Former Makueni County Governor Kivutha Kibwana has urged prominent religious leaders to mediate the ongoing issues between President William Ruto and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
In a statement shared on his official X account on Sunday, October 13, 2024, Kibwana emphasized that no political group should use the Constitution to wage conflict against another. “Prominent faith sector leaders should mediate between President and Deputy. Despite differences, President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila served their term from 2008 to 2012. So did Uhuru and Ruto during their tumultuous years from 2017 to 2022,” the former governor stated.
He called for the establishment of a convention for the president and deputy to serve their full terms, arguing that the current dispute is not rooted in good governance. “We should establish a convention of the President and Deputy serving full term. Article 27(4) of the Constitution forbids discrimination based on ethnic origin. Article 91 prohibits ethnic-based political parties. Recognizing the citizenship of Nubians, Makonde, Shona, etc., is great. However, it is wrong to marginalize groups from Mt Kenya, South Eastern, or other sectors,” he noted.
Kibwana added, “The Constitution should never be misused by one political group to fight another. That is the simple point I am making. In 2007/2008, we almost lost Kenya. Governors and their deputies fight day in and day out for no good reason. The conflict between the President and Deputy is not about good governance.”
His remarks come amid an ongoing impeachment motion against Deputy President Gachagua. Last week, 281 Members of Parliament voted to impeach the DP on various grounds, including abuse of office, violation of the Constitution, and gross misconduct. Gachagua’s fate now lies with the Senate, where he will face a trial in plenary sessions following his impeachment by the National Assembly.
