Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has dismissed President William Ruto's claims that his impeachment stemmed from internal conflicts with State House officials and Members of Parliament.
Gachagua, in a brief statement shared on his X account on Monday, March 31, moments after Ruto's interview at Sagana State Lodge, also refuted allegations that he demanded Ksh10 billion to drum up support for the president in the populous Mt Kenya region.
Responding to Ruto's claims, the former DP accused the Head of State of allegedly lying to Kenyans about the cause of his impeachment by parliamentarians.
According to Gachagua, the persistent lies by the president pose a great threat to Kenyans and are evidence of Ruto's failed leadership.
"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," Gachagua wrote.
Gachagua's response followed barely an hour after President Ruto addressed the former DP's impeachment for the first time since the latter was dismissed from office.
Speaking during a televised roundtable interview with journalists in Nyeri County, Ruto revealed that Gachagua's misunderstanding with key government officials, including blogger Dennis Itumbi and MPs Ndindi Nyoro and Kimani Ichung'wah, led to his ouster.
Ruto further disclosed that, despite his intervention to address the misunderstandings between his deputy and the government officials, Gachagua escalated the hostilities to the lawmakers who decided to impeach him.
Additionally, Ruto revealed that his former deputy also demanded Ksh10 billion and threatened to make him a one-term president if he failed to provide the money.
“I asked him, ‘Why are you fighting with Itumbi, my PA Farouk, and these young leaders? What’s the need for such small battles?’” Ruto commented.
"Gachagua told me that I would be a one-term President if I did not meet certain conditions. He asked for Ksh 10 billion to talk to the Mt Kenya region. I told him I would not do it. I told him if it's one term, it's okay if you're the one to decide. So the MPs started a war,'' he added.
Meanwhile, Gachagua was impeached in October 2024 by the Senators on several charges, including abuse of office and tribalism. He became the first deputy president to be impeached since the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution.
