A major political showdown looms between President William Ruto and allies of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua following his dramatic ouster last week.
Some of Gachagua’s associates shed tears as the Senate moved to render the DP jobless with a vow of a ruthless political fightback for what they see as betrayal.
“This divorce that the President is looking for, he shall get it. But it will be painful, hurtful, catastrophic and it will have casualties,” Nyandarua Senator John Methu promised.
But Mathira MP Eric Wamumbi in an interview with the Star, disabused the notion that the impeachment amounted to a divorce with Mt Kenya.
“This was Gachagua’s own undoing so the question of casualties doesn’t arise. This is not about the region but one individual,” he said.
The MP said the work cut out for the incoming Deputy President Kindiki Kithure is to steer road projects, electricity connectivity and end water woes.
“There are many leaders who are working for the people. This was Gachagua’s miscalculation. He is not the people. The people will move on and Kenya will move on,” Wamumbi said, adding that he advised the deposed DP against fighting Ruto.
The President has sent signals that he will not easily let go of Mt Kenya, a region whose vote propelled him to power.
His nomination of Kindiki to replace Gachagua insiders say is part of a grand scheme to whittle down the impeached DP’s political influence. Kindiki’s brief and a host of other Mt Kenya bigwigs would be to help the President maintain a political stranglehold.
The emotional impeachment of the DP has set the stage for major political realignments with Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka gravitating towards Gachagua. Kalonzo alongside former Defence CS Eugene Wamalwa visited Gachagua at the Karen Hospital and declared the ouster process a charade.
“This whole thing smacks of injustice and political manipulation, and all of us know it’s a political trial,” Kalonzo said.
At the same hospital, Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba and former Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri were overwhelmed and broke down in tears.
They bitterly blamed Ruto for Gachagua’s woes.
Former UDA secretary general Cleophas Malala described Ruto as heartless.
Ahead of his impeachment, Gachagua tore into those who after his bid and accused the President of being the chief architect of his ouster.
In his engagements, he was clear that he owned the mountain and that no one would penetrate the region to get its support unless they go through him.
The DP had equally positioned himself as the region’s next big thing, and that anyone who opposed him would write their own political obituary.
So tough were the tirades that three MPs coiled back and withdrew their support for the impeachment motion after signing up.
Various reports indicated that the DP had said anyone who did not play ball would be punished by propping new candidates to challenge their posts.
Even so, pundits hold that Kindiki is not starting badly off, considering that a huge chunk of the leadership are on Ruto’s side Whereas the ground may look poisoned and singing Gachagua’s tunes, the political leadership is expected to deal with the backlash.
When Ruto was under the clampdown of the Jubilee government, which he was part of, several MPs, some of whom are still on his side, anchored him from the storms.
Ahead of Gachagua’s impeachment, lawmakers from Central and Mt Kenya East issued press writs that the Interior CS was their preferred man.
They argued that the DP nominee was their choice before President Ruto insisted on Gachagua as his pick to pair in the Kenya Kwanza presidential ticket.
Signs of the soft landing played out during the recent vote where Gachagua’s senator (Wahome Wamatinga) voted to support his impeachment. Nyeri Woman Representative Rahab Mukami also stayed away from the vote at the National Assembly, leaving political watchers guessing.
Gachagua’s MP – Eric Wamumbi of Mathira – also voted for his impeachment, as was the case of his other 39 colleagues from Mt Kenya.
It is also argued that by being out of elective or appointive office, Gachagua’s finances may also take a beating and could render him immobilised.
As such, it is anticipated he’d have to cut down his political activities and that the impeachment technically locks him out of public office.
More trouble is said to be looming for the deposed DP amid the push by senators to have him prosecuted for some of the allegations that informed his impeachment.
Pundits also observed that on his removal, the former Deputy President’s influence would wane. His removal takes away the state machinery he had at his disposal.
“Kenyans are generally tired of the political feuds and are desperate to have the government function seamlessly to enhance service delivery,” governance expert Charles Munyui said.
“The incoming DP must move fast to assure all Kenyans, including those that support Rigathi Gachagua of his commitment to duty and service to all,” the political analyst said.
Munyui says the task facing Kindiki is not such a huge one, “having been CS Interior for a while, and being quite conversant with the unique needs of different counties across the country.” For Kindiki’s backers, the task ahead is more of taking the region to greater heights of development, more than politics.
For Maara MP Kareke Mbiuki, Kindiki should be looked at in the context of his nationwide appeal, more than how he appeases Mt Kenya. He said the DP nominee has a natural chemistry with President Ruto, hence promises some sense of stability.
“He is humble and treats all people with decorum. He has a nationwide appeal, not only in Mt Kenya. He is extremely likeable. We are safe with him as DP,” the MP said.
Political observers point out there was no way President Ruto would have continued to work with Gachagua even if the Senate did not remove him.
The historic vote by 282 members of the National Assembly is argued was the straw that broke the camel’s back on the relationship between Ruto and Gachagua.
“In fact, even if the Senate had voted to retain him, they would have had the most strained relationship in the history of this good country,” Munyui said.
On his endorsement by 69 MPs, Kindiki had already hit the ground running and launched roads and other infrastructure projects.