Impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua Sunday hinted at making a l political comeback in January 2025 after holding consultations with like-minded residents of the Mt. Kenya region.
Gachagua said that his bitter fallout with President William Ruto has allowed him to re-strategize his next political move.
He spoke during a church service in Murang’a on Sunday.
He said Ruto’s true colours became apparent when he purportedly supported his ouster and his political comeback will be sane and judicious.
“We as the Mt. Kenya people hate two things; lies and betrayal. This coming January after the talks we will announce the next direction. Never again shall we find ourselves in the hole we are in,” said Gachagua.
“President Ruto, my friend, did a good thing to bring this fight against me and the people of the mountain because now we know him. Now we understand you (Ruto) and we will address you as we know you and who you are. Now we will have talks with respect.”
Gachagua said that he has been holding talks with church leaders, businesspeople, professionals, and like-minded leaders “who love our people.”
“It is better you (Ruto) have launched this attack early because if it was in the second term you would have bothered us.”
Since his impeachment, he has claimed that leaders were bribed to support his removal from office.
“MPs went and passed the Finance Bill 2024. I was the only one in Cabinet who was against it. The president said no, you do not have to do what is popular, you do what is right. I said “that is okay” but a majority of Kenyans are saying it is not right,” said Gachagua.
He has also criticized a section of politicians for what he described as the mistreatment of religious leaders, urging Ruto to listen to the clergy rather than dismiss their concerns.
On November 17, Gachagua warned that the current administration risks repeating the mistakes of former President Daniel Arap Moi, who allegedly oppressed and humiliated religious leaders.
He accused the government of harassment and intimidation, claiming that security agents in unmarked cars have been following him and were spotted around his Nairobi and Nyeri homes.
“They are parking at the entrance of my Nairobi residence, taking note of all my visitors, and they trail me whenever I leave the house, even all the way to my rural home in Nyeri,” Gachagua said in a past statement.
The allegations were however dismissed by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), calling them a misrepresentation of the agency’s actions and intentions.
Meanwhile, Ruto has maintained that he will not stop giving monetary advances to churches amid rising criticism from the clergy and Kenyans.
Speaking during a church service in Kericho on Sunday, Ruto noted that he has been committed to supporting the advancement of churches and the spread of Christianity by donating money.
Ruto said he will not stop his customary deed since he is “a product of giving”, adding that he will not be silenced by naysayers.
“We have absolutely no apologies to make as we give to God because God gave first. We understand the word of God enough to know that it is more blessed to give than to receive and that is what we are going to do,” he said.
“We will build our churches and we will work together to spread the word of God. I have helped build 30 churches in 30 years and I have never lacked because I know the secret in giving and I know what it does.”
Ruto’s sentiments lie on the backdrop of a sour relationship with the church as the Archdiocese of Nairobi returned Sh2.8 million donated by the President and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja on November 17.
The Archdiocese rejected the money made at Soweto Catholic Church, saying that the rejection aligns with Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) directives and the Public Fundraising Appeals Bill 2024.
The collapsed relationship stems from ignored calls for vigilance, sobriety and integrity in governance as many churches have censured the state for poor leadership.
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