President William
Ruto yesterday slammed as “repugnant” shareholding remarks
that led to the impeachment of his
besieged Deputy Rigathi Gachagua.
This is the first time the head of state is taking on the DP head-on after maintaining silence during the process. The High Court has since suspended Gachagua’s replacement and scheduled the matter for hearing on Thursday.
During his speech at Mashujaa Day celebrations in Kwale, Ruto took issue with those who he claimed are propagating a formula of resource allocation that excludes other people and regions.
“Every citizen of Kenya is a full and equal member of our political community, entitled to make a contribution to nation building, and with an inalienable right to a full, just and fair share of all the benefits that accrue from our development,” Ruto said.
“No proposition to discriminate or to unjustly diminish one while enlarging another’s rights is admissible. “Therefore, any formula seeking to exclude, alienate or disenfranchise any person, group or community for any reason is repugnant to the very essence of our nationhood.”
The shareholding issue was at the heart of the DP’s ouster motion and is listed first amongst the eleven charges that led to his downfall.
A record 54 out of 67 senators voted to uphold the charge, which accused Gachagua of undermining national unity through his remarks likening Kenya to a company where people are holding shares depending on how they voted.
In his defence before MPs, Gachagua stuck to his guns, revisiting
a secret Kenya Kwanza coalition
pre-poll deal that shared government amongst constituent parties
to justify his remarks.