Kenya’s Impeached Deputy President Gachagua Accuses Ruto Of Betrayal, Raises Alarm Over Safety
Gachagua described his shock at the alleged betrayal by a man he once helped to ascend to the presidency, emphasizing the depth of his disillusionment.
Kenya’s ousted Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has publicly condemned President William Ruto as “vicious” and “cruel,” expressing concerns for his safety following his impeachment by the Senate on five out of eleven charges.
In a press conference on Sunday, Gachagua described his shock at the alleged betrayal by a man he once helped to ascend to the presidency, emphasizing the depth of his disillusionment.
“I am shocked by how vicious a man I helped to be president, believed in, and was persecuted when I supported could be so vicious against me,” Gachagua stated, alluding to the political turmoil that has enveloped his tenure.
Despite the Senate’s decision on Thursday, a court order has temporarily halted the process of appointing his successor, leaving the political landscape in Kenya increasingly uncertain.
Voice of Africa reports that the embattled 59-year-old stated that his security has been withdrawn and his entire staff has been placed on mandatory leave.
“If anything happens to me or my family, President William Ruto must be held accountable,” he declared, referencing previous attempts on his life.
This statement came after he was discharged from a Nairobi hospital, where he received treatment for severe chest pains.
Gachagua fell ill just an hour before he was scheduled to testify in an unprecedented two-day impeachment trial.
Despite his lawyers’ efforts to postpone the session, the upper house voted to proceed with his removal.
He was found guilty of charges including threatening judges and engaging in ethnically divisive politics, although he was acquitted of corruption and money laundering.
In the rapidly evolving political situation, President Ruto promptly nominated Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki as Gachagua’s replacement.
However, a High Court in Nairobi quickly suspended the appointment process shortly after parliament overwhelmingly approved Kindiki, a 52-year-old academic turned political heavyweight. A three-judge bench is set to hear the case on Tuesday.
Gachagua remarked, “The president, in total violation of the court order, viciously withdrew my security,” even though he remains deputy president. “I don’t understand this level of viciousness… at a moment when I’m literally struggling to stay alive, you unleash such hostility against me.”
Ruto has not yet publicly commented on the impeachment.
Meanwhile, Gachagua is the first deputy president to be ousted in this manner since the impeachment provision was introduced in Kenya’s revised 2010 constitution.
