Robert Mbui, Deputy Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Kathiani, has suggested that Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s recent silence may be due to a perceived sidelining in the upcoming election cycle.
According to Mbui, Gachagua’s retreat from the political forefront is a result of various events that have diminished his political influence in the country. Mbui pointed to instances such as President William Ruto’s indication that he intends to nominate a female running mate and his commitment to uphold the two-thirds gender rule in his administration.
The lawmaker speculated that Ruto’s statements may have unsettled Gachagua, leading to doubts about his prospects of retaining his position as the deputy head of state.
“After he issued those statements and the women cheered him wildly he remembered his deputy is male so he quickly said ‘Now after we discuss this with the DP’ but he had already let the cat out of the bag that he is considering to look for an alternative running mate,” he said.
“That is one of the things that the DP has noticed that he may not be the running mate in the future.”
Mbui also stated that Gachagua has been losing popularity in the Mt Kenya region, noting that there are seemingly more popular and younger leaders who have impressed the masses.
“There are a number of very young members of parliament that are walking around and they seem to be making inroads all over and they seem to be even more popular than the DP in parts of central Kenya,” he added.
Robert Mbui – Deputy Minority Leader. N.A.: DP Gachagua may have noticed he will not be the running mate of President Ruto in the future. There are people (MP Ndindi Nyoro) who are more popular than DP Gachagua in the Mt. Kenya region #CitizenDayBreak @SamGituku pic.twitter.com/VUiTkcKZ0h
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) May 20, 2024
This comes amid fallout speculations between DP Gachagua and President Ruto which have even elicited a rebuttal from Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga who asserted that the people of the Mt. Kenya region will not allow Gachagua to be mistreated.
He added that Gachagua was not appointed to his current position, rather he was elected like any other leader and deserves to be respected.
“Disrespect to Gachagua is disrespect to the mountain, and vice versa. Those trying to bring bad blood between the president and his deputy, we are warning you,” a fiery Mutahi added.
Gachagua on Sunday made his first public appearance in over a week when he attended the church service in Endarasha, Nyeri County.
