|
LISTEN TO THIS THE AFRICANA VOICE ARTICLE NOW
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Tuesday July 30 interrogated three senior officials from Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s office in connection with their alleged involvement in organizing anti-government protests. These demonstrations, which took place on June 25, saw protestors storm Parliament, demanding the removal of President William Ruto and the rejection of Finance Bill 2024.
Top allies of President Ruto have accused unnamed officials, including a politician from Nyeri, of financing the protests. This accusation has led to heightened tensions within the ruling UDA party, with a faction of lawmakers calling for a thorough investigation into Gachagua’s office.
Deputy President Gachagua had previously implicated National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director General Noordin Haji, alleging that Haji orchestrated a scheme to portray him and former President Uhuru Kenyatta as the primary backers of the protests. These allegations came on June 26, a day after President Ruto condemned the protestors, labeling them “anarchists.”
“The President has admitted that the protests were caused by the anger of Kenyans over the Finance Bill,” Gachagua stated during a televised media briefing. He accused Haji of attempting to create a false narrative implicating him and Kenyatta in the unrest, which has resulted in at least fifty fatalities.
The controversy surrounding the protests has led to discussions within the UDA party about the potential impeachment of Deputy President Gachagua, with accusations that he is undermining President Ruto’s administration.
Reacting to these developments, Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga, a close ally of Gachagua, warned of significant political repercussions for those attempting to impeach the Deputy President. “I want to tell those MPs spending sleepless nights planning how to impeach Gachagua to bring the motion to the National Assembly. We will deal with it, but they must be aware that this will alter the political equation of this region,” Kahiga stated.
Nominated MP Sabina Chege has also voiced her support for Gachagua amid the impeachment speculations. A report by The Standard newspaper alleged that a late-night meeting held on Saturday, July 27, involving 21 MPs at the house of a Cabinet Secretary nominee, resolved to raise an impeachment motion against the DP on grounds of undermining the presidency.
In a media interview Chege questioned why some leaders would want to oust DP Gachagua at a time when the President called for unity and even appointed opposition members to his cabinet. “The Mt Kenya Kingpin is Rigathi Gachagua because he has the highest rank politically. I want to say that I would not sign the impeachment motion,” she said.
Chege commended Gachagua for his efforts in uniting the region despite facing backlash from other Mt Kenya leaders who accused him of tribal politics. “We did not expect Gachagua to rise to the DP’s office from the D.O. He has really tried in his efforts to rise in the ranks. When he was given such a mandate, he rallied people from the region to unite,” she said.
She also urged President Ruto to deter such talks, recalling how he faced similar backlash during former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s regime. “If it’s true, it would be very unfortunate. I pray that President Ruto has not come to such thoughts because he himself went through the same thing when he deputized Uhuru. At first, things seemed well until those surrounding Uhuru began talking ill of the DP,” she added.
LEAVE A COMMENT
You must be logged in to post a comment.