Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has dismissed reports that he is secretly working with his former boss, President William Ruto.
While appearing in an interview on KTN on Sunday, October 5, Gachagua maintained that he would never enter into any discussions with Ruto as their relationship was broken beyond repair.
Claims that Gachagua was secretly working with Ruto emerged after critics alleged that he was using his party, the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), as a bargaining chip to regain a foothold in government.
As per the claims, Gachagua would leverage his vote-rich Mt Kenya backyard to get a stake in power.
In the interview, Gachagua admitted that political parties were used to form or get into power. He noted that his DCP party would do exactly that, but not with Ruto's administration.
“A political party is for forming government, or for getting into government. This party (DCP) is for forming government or getting into government,” he stated.
“As to who we are going to bargain with, that is a decision for the people of Mt. Kenya to make. But I can tell you, from what they have told me, William Ruto is not part of that equation. We have no intention whatsoever to have any discussion, any negotiation with one William Ruto,” Gachagua averred.
On Sunday, September 28, the Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni had also claimed that Gachagua was in talks with Ruto behind closed doors.
According to Kioni, Gachagua met leaders in Narok County at an undisclosed date, where he tried to explain why the DCP was denying Narok Town Ward aspirant Joshua Ole Kaputa a party ticket for the upcoming by-elections.
Kioni further claimed that the meeting had 15 members, among them members of the clergy, and that there was an arrangement made between him and President Ruto, and Joshua would be given a nomination at a later time.
However, in a quick rejoinder, DCP Deputy Party leader Cleophas Malala dismissed the allegations, maintaining that Gachagua cannot work or reunite with Ruto.
According to Malala, Kioni's remarks were attempts by some state-sponsored tactics to polarise the United Opposition due to its ongoing criticisms of the government.
Furthermore, Malala claimed that the Jubilee SG has never openly criticised the government in the past, calling him a mole within the opposition.
"I have seen there are people like Kioni who have embarked on diversionary tactics. These are people who are sent with specific instructions to divide the United Opposition. I want to ask him that if you are in the opposition and you cannot say a 'wantam' slogan, then you are a mole," Malala said.
