Rigathi Gachagua's impeachment in October 2024 was a historic moment in Kenya. He became the first Deputy President to be removed from office since the 2010 Constitution was passed.
After his removal, a new battle began between him and President William Ruto. Gachagua strongly denied claims that he asked for Ksh10 billion from Ruto to gain political support in the Mt Kenya region.
Ruto, while speaking at Sagana State Lodge, said that Gachagua warned him he would only serve one term if he did not give him the money. The President claimed that his deputy wanted the funds to ‘speak’ to the Mt Kenya region and maintain his influence there. Ruto further revealed that Gachagua had ongoing conflicts with several key figures in government, including blogger Dennis Itumbi, personal assistant Farouk Kibet, and Members of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro and Kimani Ichung'wah. He said these internal fights made it impossible for Gachagua to work effectively, leading to his impeachment by lawmakers.
Gachagua quickly responded on his X account, calling Ruto’s claims lies. He said the President was misleading Kenyans to justify his removal and insisted that he never demanded money from Ruto. According to him, his impeachment was politically motivated and had nothing to do with internal conflicts or financial demands.
The greatest existential threat to our beloved country is outright lying to the people of Kenya without blinking and failure by a leader to put his team together to harmonise their lies.
I weep for my Country, Kenya.
His response came less than an hour after Ruto’s televised interview. The speed of his reaction showed he was determined to counter Ruto’s claims immediately. Gachagua argued that his impeachment was planned to weaken his political influence and remove him from the equation ahead of the next election.
The conflict between Ruto and Gachagua is shaping Kenya’s politics in a big way. The question remains: was Gachagua truly guilty of the accusations, or was he simply a casualty of power struggles? The division between them signals a deeper realignment in the political scene, with different camps emerging as each leader seeks to strengthen his position.
One thing is clear,Gachagua is not giving up, and this political storm is far from over.