Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has claimed that there is an ongoing effort to remove him from office, alleging that Members of Parliament are being offered Ksh.5 million to support an impeachment motion against him. Speaking to residents in Mwea, Kirinyaga County, Gachagua stated that his detractors attempted to bribe County Woman Representative Njeri Maina and Senator James Murango, both of whom he said rejected the offers.
“Njeri was called and they tried to sell her fear by telling her to sign for my impeachment, but she declined. She was told to take Ksh.5 million but refused. Senator James Murango was also offered cash, but he declined,” Gachagua explained.
The Deputy President emphasized that these attempts would not deter him from standing up for the Kenyans who elected him. He also turned his attention to President William Ruto, urging him to stop fueling the impeachment efforts.
“I was elected by the people of Kenya, not by the president. Both the president and I were elected on one ticket, and you chose Ruto because I was there. If Gachagua was not there, you would not have chosen him,” he remarked. “If he’s tired of Mt. Kenya votes, let him tell us. We took him as our own and voted for him earnestly. He should stop telling the MPs to kick us out of office.”
In recent weeks, Gachagua has been touring Nairobi and the Mt. Kenya region, rallying his supporters amidst tensions within the Kenya Kwanza administration. While President Ruto was attending the UN General Assembly in New York, Gachagua and his allies used the opportunity to air grievances about the strained relationship within the government.
In a tell-all interview with Citizen TV, Gachagua disclosed that his relationship with the president had deteriorated to the point where he was removed from Ruto’s official WhatsApp group. His allies have also questioned the president’s silence on the matter, urging him to address those who insult his deputy.
The impeachment motion against Gachagua is reportedly set to be tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, October 1, with over 300 signatures already collected.
