Impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, on Wednesday, addressed speculations that the Mount Kenya region had turned their backs on him by failing to take to the streets to protest after his impeachment.
While speaking to mourners at the funeral of Mwalimu Geoffrey Murugami in Limuru, Gachagua said that he was aware of people who believed he had no backers from the region but assured Kenyans that he had several supporters but his community was not the type to cause chaos or make a lot of noise but the kind to watch and wait.
“That is not our character. We are not the type to take to the streets. We are not the type to make noise. We watch and wait. Then a day comes when we do what is necessary and you won’t know which day it is. Stay silent and be strong. We were ruled by a white man, we never forgot. We were ruled by Moi for 24 years and never forgot. Even this one we will never forget,” Gachagua told mourners.
“Maintain silence and go back to work. Judgement day is coming. My joy is MPs are not being given the space to speak because what they did in parliament has angered Kenyans.”
Gachagua, however, asked his supporters to keep maintaining their peace no matter the outcome of the courts and continue living peacefully with all the other Kenyans as it was their duty to build the country and it belonged to everyone. He also reminded them that those were not the people that wronged them.
“To the people of the Mount Kenya region, please remain peaceful. Love one another. Stay well with all the other regions and communities. They have not wronged us. They are our friends. Kenya is also bigger than us and we don’t have another Kenya," he added.
“We only have one Kenyab and I want to say irrespective of what will happen and the outcome of the court process. Let our people remain peaceful and build our country. A time will come for us to speak. And don’t worry. Maintain the silence, A day is coming.”
Gachagua then went ahead to appreciate some of his fiercest supporters who stood by him through the entire process and did not get ‘bought.’ He commended the people of Kiambu for their choice of senator and urged them to keep praying for him and never let him down.
“My happiness here in Kiambu is that you voted in Senator Karung’o wa Thang’wa. That man cannot be bought with however much money there is. He cannot sell out the community. Pray for him and remember him. As well as Gathoni Wamuchomba and the Juja MP George Koimburi. They are real guardians of our community.”
Once again rubbishing the grounds that had him impeached, especially about interfering with the devolved units, Gachagua urged administrators in the Mount Kenya region not to let the work he had done over the past two years go in vain.
He implored Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs in the region to not allow illicit brew that had ruined the lives of many young men back into the community and once again expressed his faith in the judiciary and called for peace.
“We have faith that our judiciary will protect and uphold the constitution in Kenya and will exercise fairness and give justice to Rigathi Gachagua and his supporters. That is our prayer But I want to ask for peace moreso to my people of the Mount Kenya region.”
Gachagua, who was impeached following a dramatic debate session in the National Assembly and a Senate trial, took to the courts to stop his impeachment and the swearing in of his nominated successor Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki.
His legal team, led by Paul Muite, is currently fighting it out before a three-judge bench in the High Court after they refused to recuse themselves from the case. The lawyers have called out the bench for hurrying the entire process and pushing for the swearing-in of Kindiki as soon as possible even though the Constitution allows for up to 60 days without a deputy president.
They are currently trying to stop the removal of conservatory orders that were issued to stop the swearing-in of Kindiki. The hearing that started on Tuesday will receive its ruling on Thursday, October 31.
