- Deputy President took a seven-day sabbatical amidst the storm.
- He was away during the arrival of Uganda’s President, Yoweri Museveni, for his three-day state visit.
- He was also missing at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport when President Ruto returned from Rwanda.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is one of the most prominent figures of the Kenya Kwanza administration, and he never misses key public events attended by President Ruto.
However, Gachagua’s absence from recent state events, including the arrival of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on May 15, raised eyebrows. Museveni was in Kenya for a three-day state visit at the invitation of President Ruto.
Gachagua was also a no-show at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport when President Ruto returned from Rwanda. The Deputy President is often at hand to receive President Ruto when he is returning from public duty abroad.
Gachagua Resurfaces in Mount Kenya
In his backyard, Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga became the first person to blow the whistle on Gachagua’s tribulations. During a church event where Gachagua was in attendance, Kahiga warned of political consequences if the Deputy President continued to be mistreated.
“The people of Mount Kenya woke up very early to elect this government. We elected both President Ruto and the Deputy President, and you know how they suffered. You know the humiliations Ruto went through, and we stood with him. We shall not allow this to happen to our son,”
Governor Kahiga
Kahiga, Gachagua, and other Kenya Kwanza politicians attended a church service at the Sacred Heart Endarasha Catholic Church, Kieni, Nyeri County.
Nairobi MP James Gakuya, who is also eyeing the UDA party Nairobi Chairman position, also voiced his concerns about Gachagua’s tribulations, asking President Ruto to intervene. “We are asking President Ruto to step in and stop these people,” he said.
Ruto Allies Fire Back
Responding to reports of a split in the Kenya Kwanza regime, National Assembly Minority Whip Sylvanus Osoro downplayed Gachagua’s absence from key events, asking Kenyans to disregard the rumors.
Osoro said that Gachagua has had a busy schedule and is taking some time off to rest. “The Deputy President is taking some time to rest and relax. He will be in Nyeri tomorrow, so let’s wait for him to speak for himself,” he said.
Osoro was accompanied by other Kenya Kwanza parliamentarians, senators, and governors during the memorial service for Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja’s mother, Emily Sakaja, in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County on Saturday, May 18.
Statehouse Denies Ruto-Gachagua Rift
Responding to a question from a journalist during a press briefing on President Ruto’s US visit, Statehouse Spokesman Hussein Mohammed dismissed reports of a rift between President William Ruto and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
“There is no rift between the President and his Deputy. If you want to find out anything about the DP, you can get the information from the Office of the Deputy President, which has all the capabilities and competencies,” he said. It is not the first time rumors about a rift between the President and Deputy President have circulated. In December last year, Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura denied the reports, citing them as a creation of the media.